Experts push for enhanced analysis and implementation in Uganda's agricultural sector

Policy experts have emphasized on a need for policy analysis and implementation in various agencies including the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industries and Fisheries (MAAIF), National Agricultural Research Institute, private sector among others to galvanize and collaborative support towards the agricultural sector.

Policy makers made remarks while piloting the Association for Strengthening Research Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA)’s policy manager tool through joint analysis of Uganda’s National Agricultural Extension Policy aimed at enhancing evidence-based policy formulation and implementation in agriculture in Kampala.

Programs Officer Policy, ASARECA,Julian Barungi said , “we have come up with this policy manager tool which is basically a virtual dashboard tool that will help us track the extent at which policies are well formulated and implemented.”

Barungi added the tool was developed a year ago after conducting capacity gap assessment across different stakeholders saying, “aimed at addressing needs the stakeholders had highlighted”

According to Paul Mwambu, the Commissioner for crop inspection and certification MAAIF, the policy tools focus on achieving sustainable food security, poverty alleviation, and agricultural transformation across East and Central Africa.

Experts said tools like ASARECA’s policy manager provide decision-makers with pragmatic solutions to monitor and refine policies to address challenges and seize opportunities in various agencies.

The policy manager tool will be used in monitoring, analyzing and reporting on policy change and success as well as guide countries to self-monitor and evaluate whether their policies are well formulated and implemented, especially compared with other countries.

Achilley Ssebwana,Policy Manager Tool Developer urged MAAIF through district production departments to closely monitor all Extension Service Providers, especially NGOs, to ensure that farmers get accurate or correct information.

“Extension Services should equally give attention to marketing aspects, in order to give incentives to the farmers” Ssebwana stated.

Experts say the policy tool will tackle areas of partnerships and capacity development, agricultural technologies and innovations, policy, markets and trade, monitoring evaluation among others.