Newly vetted Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Frank Tumwebaze, has outlined an ambitious agenda centered on expanding access to affordable agricultural financing, scaling up irrigation infrastructure and accelerating commercial farming as part of government efforts to transform Uganda’s economy.
Speaking to journalists shortly after his vetting, Tumwebaze said the ministry would continue implementing the government’s agricultural transformation strategy guided by the National Resistance Movement (NRM) vision and President Museveni’s development agenda.
He identified the Parish Development Model (PDM) as the government’s flagship intervention for smallholder farmers, while stressing the need to strengthen support for medium and large-scale farmers through improved access to affordable credit.
“We shall be working with the Ministry of Finance to continue opening up favorable low-interest loans in UDB and government banks such that we can have all clusters of farming supported — the small-scale cluster, the medium-scale and the large-scale,” Tumwebaze said.
He noted that expanding access to affordable financing remains critical in enabling farmers to invest in modern production methods, improve productivity and transition from subsistence to commercial agriculture.
Tumwebaze also highlighted irrigation as a key priority, saying government plans to expand irrigation infrastructure across the country in order to reduce dependence on rain-fed agriculture and strengthen resilience against climate change.
According to him, unlocking Uganda’s agricultural potential will require putting more arable land into productive use while encouraging greater participation in commercial farming.
“If a big part of the arable land we have in Uganda can be put into rightful use, Uganda will be a real food basket for the world,” he said.
He further pointed to agriculture’s growing contribution to the economy, saying the sector is currently growing at approximately 6.8 percent and contributes about 26 percent of Uganda’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while accounting for around 40 percent of export earnings.
The figures, he said, underscore agriculture’s central role in Uganda’s development, as it continues to employ the majority of the population and generate foreign exchange earnings.
Tumwebaze echoed President Yoweri Museveni’s long-standing position that agriculture has the potential to create millions of jobs if adequately supported through targeted government interventions and private sector investment.
“When the President says agriculture alone can create over 50 million jobs, it is possible. It is doable,” he said.
His remarks come at a time when government is intensifying efforts to increase agricultural productivity, enhance value addition and expand market access under programmes such as the Parish Development Model.
Commercial agriculture remains a key pillar in Uganda’s development strategy, with policymakers increasingly prioritising financing, irrigation and mechanisation as tools to unlock sector growth.
