WORLD FOOD DAY: Uganda goes for agro-food systems transformation

The government through the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries is to implement the multi-sectoral food and nutrition project across the country to promote growing crops loaded with micronutrients.

This project implementation comes at a time when the country is preparing to celebrate World Food Day which is commemorated to recognize the founding of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in 1945.

The state minister for agriculture, Rtd. Maj Fred Kyakulaga Bwino, said that agro-food systems transformation is a key driver for the social-economic transformation and therefore the country needs to take advantage of these celebrations.

“Through the Parish Development Model, our ministry is working towards liberating farmers who are still stuck in subsistence (39.5%) farming and graduate them to commercial agricultural production so as to raise family gross income to at least Shs20, 000 per year,” he said.

He added that they have embarked on a strategy to boost food and animal feed production after mobilizing different MDAs to utilize available land and resources to produce enough food.

“This initiative is being implemented this planting season by the Uganda prisons services, National Enterprise Cooperation, UPDF, NARO, NAGRIC and DB,” he explained.

The theme of this year’s World Food Day will be “Leave no on behind: Better production, Better Nutrition, Better environment, and a better life”

Kyakulaga noted that the theme recognizes the need to develop inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agri-food systems which calls for action across all sector players in the agricultural industry.

The national celebrations will take place at the National Crop Resources Research Institute (NACRI) in Namulonge on Sunday 16th October 2022.

Before this, a policy National Dialogue will be held on Thursday 13th October, to discuss various issues surrounding government intervention and private sectors.