Located in north-western Uganda, bordering South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo, with a culturally diverse population and livelihood activities, West Nile region can be seen as a microcosm of sub-Saharan Africa. Smallholder farming is one of the main economic and subsistence activities in the region. However, smallholder farmers in West Nile, face a range of challenges that hinder their ability to achieve sustainable and profitable agriculture. A survey conducted by Green Trust Africa among smallholder farmers in the region identified a number of challenges which include:
Limited access to credit: Smallholder farmers often struggle to access credit to purchase inputs such as seed, fertilizer, and tools, making it difficult for them to improve their agriculture and increase their yields. Where there is access to agricultural loans, the interests and terms of borrowing are smallholder unfriendly, hence discouraging them from borrowing.
Limited agricultural extension services: Several smallholder farmers in West Nile have limited access to agricultural extension services and training programs, which provide important information and support to farmers. This includes information on best practices for soil management, crop selection, financial literacy, and market access. The government and private sector are making progress in providing extension services, however, more work needs to be done to make these services readily available to the farmers.
Lack of enabling infrastructure and technology: Smallholder farmers are faced with a severe lack of enabling infrastructure to link them to the markets and technology to support their food production services. These include lack of appropriate storage and processing facilities, poor state of feeder roads, unaffordable irrigation systems and communication systems to connect farmers and consumers. This not only leads to production losses, but renders farmers vulnerable to climatic shocks, makes agriculture more labour intensive and reduces farmer revenues.
Tenure insecurity: Several farmers operate on communal lands which reduces the incentive to care for land due to the tragedy of common-pool resources. Several farmers also have no titles for their land, rendering them vulnerable to land wrangles. Furthermore, the embargo place of women land ownership due to cultural practise inhibits women from actively engaging in agriculture.
Climate change and variability: The West Nile region is vulnerable to climate change and experiences unpredictable climatic variability and extreme events such as prolonged dry seasons. This affects crop productivity and reduces the ability of smallholder farmers to grow enough food to feed their families and sell surplus crops in the market. “The unpredictability of the seasons coupled with lack of accurate early warning, awareness and climate detection systems makes it difficult for us to decide on the timing of planting and also rendered our crop fields vulnerable to extreme climatic and weather events” reported Maliamungu, a smallholder farmer dealing in horticulture.
Soil degradation: Poor land management practices, overuse of land, and a lack of access to inputs such as fertilizer and improved seed varieties have led to soil degradation in the region. This makes it difficult for farmers to grow crops and maintain healthy soil for future harvests.
Lack of access to markets: Many smallholder farmers in West Nile face limited access to markets for their products, leading to low prices for their crops and limited income. This is partly due to poor transportation infrastructure and a lack of access to information about market prices. This challenge also renders the smallholder farmers vulnerable to exploitation by middlemen. “The ‘kumurusa’ (middlemen) come and buy our produce very cheaply, and when they reach the market, they sell it at a very high price without any value added to it. We would also like to access and participate in the market”, said Njelaa a smallholder farmer in Vurra.
To address these challenges, it is essential to support smallholder farmers in West Nile through targeted and sustainable interventions. This includes providing access to credit and extension services, promoting sustainable land management practices, and investing in transportation infrastructure to improve market access. Additionally, climate-smart agriculture techniques such as drought-resistant crops, rainwater harvesting, and agroforestry can help farmers adapt to the effects of climate change and maintain their agricultural productivity. Furthermore, enabling policies need to be instituted around land tenure, gender and agricultural development.
Author: Amos Amanubo
Email: amos.amanubo@gmail.com
M.Phil. Environment, Society & Sustainability
