Irrigation is Key to Climate-Resilient Farming, Experts Tell Uganda's Smallholders

Agricultural experts are urging smallholder farmers across Uganda to embrace market-oriented production and invest in climate-smart farming techniques to combat the escalating challenges within the sector. The call to action came during the 14th Annual National Forum on Agriculture and Food Security, which focused on the theme "Investing in Irrigation to Build a Climate-Resilient Smallholder Farmer in Uganda." Christine Arwata Alum, a research fellow at the Economic Policy Research Centre, emphasized the devastating impact of climate change, particularly prolonged droughts, on agricultural output in Northern Uganda. She noted that unpredictable weather patterns increasingly undermine farmers' productivity and incomes, making climate-resilient practices essential.

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climate change, particularly prolonged droughts, has had a devastating impact on agricultural production in Northern Uganda.

Alum highlighted irrigation as a crucial tool for reducing reliance on inconsistent rainfall and safeguarding agricultural yields. She encouraged farmers to adopt technologies and methods that enhance their ability to withstand climate-related shocks while ensuring consistent productivity. The forum underscored the vulnerability of Uganda's agriculture sector, which employs a significant portion of the workforce and contributes substantially to household incomes, to climate-induced disruptions like droughts and floods.

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irrigation remains one of the most effective tools for reducing dependence on erratic rainfall and safeguarding agricultural output.

Government officials are prioritizing irrigation development to boost agricultural production and bolster food security. Francis Songoni Waneloba, Assistant Commissioner for Water for Agricultural Production at the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, stated that the ministry is promoting farmer group organization to streamline irrigation service delivery. He explained that collective farming arrangements facilitate government investment in irrigation infrastructure, making it more efficient to serve larger farmer groups and reduce operational costs, ultimately aiming to increase production and improve household incomes.

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Organizing farmers into groups enables government to efficiently extend irrigation infrastructure and support, ultimately increasing agricultural production and improving household incomes.

The forum also stressed the importance of inter-institutional collaboration for water resource development and agricultural production. Job Ekolu from the Directorate of Water Resources Management at the Ministry of Water and Environment noted that successful irrigation projects necessitate a coordinated, integrated approach involving multiple stakeholders to ensure effective and sustainable service delivery to farmers.

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During the development of water projects, we bring several stakeholders on board to ensure an integrated approach that enables us to deliver effective and sustainable services to farmers.