Speaking during an overview meeting held in Kampala, the Assistant Commissioner for Planning at MAAIF, Collins Amanya, praised district officials and technical teams for what he described as their consistent support in implementing government priorities aimed at improving agricultural productivity and farmer incomes.
“All the implementing partners have stood firmly with the programme and offered themselves as the eyes of government in the field. Their dedication has greatly contributed to the achievement of the programme's objective of improving farmers' livelihoods,” Amanya said.
The meeting brought together production officers, chief administrative officers, engineers, agricultural officers and communication officers from across the country to review performance under the programme and discuss the next phase of implementation.
Amanya urged implementers to build on achievements registered under the first phase as government prepares to roll out UgFIT II, noting that stronger productivity measures would be central to the next stage.
“As we embark on the second phase of the programme, we must embrace the President's directives on increasing productivity among farmers through the provision of quality seeds and continuous technical guidance,” he noted.
He further referenced the State of the Nation Address delivered on June 5, 2026, by President Yoweri Museveni, in which irrigation and mechanisation were emphasised as key drivers of agricultural transformation.
“We presented a paper to Parliament to prioritise irrigation because it is key to stabilising agriculture. Irrigation remains the only reliable measure that enables farmers to harvest throughout the year,” Amanya said.
He also called for stronger extension services and encouraged households to move from subsistence to commercial farming, saying sustained technical support would be critical to long-term success.
Implementing partners, however, raised concerns affecting delivery of the programme, including understaffing, water scarcity in some areas, and high co-funding requirements expected from beneficiaries.
The National Programme Coordinator and Principal Engineer, James Tondo Kasozi, acknowledged the challenges and pledged that programme management would work to address them while protecting the gains already achieved.
Kasozi highlighted key milestones, including the installation of 6,265 irrigation systems nationwide, establishment of 632 demonstration sites, expansion of programme coverage from 40 to 135 districts, and the creation of more than 665 farmer field schools.
He added that the programme has brought 4,831 hectares of land under irrigation, with 98.7 percent of irrigation systems powered by solar energy.
Officials expressed optimism that the second phase of the programme will accelerate agricultural transformation and improve household incomes through higher productivity and more climate-resilient farming practices.