Government urged to change farmers' attitudes

vernment should focus on change of attitude

of farmers in order to attain the desired

agriculture-led economic growth and national

development, urged Rhoda Tumusiime,

Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural

Economy, African Union (AU), while meeting a delegation from Uganda in Addis Ababa,

Ethiopia. The delegation led by Vincent Rubarema,

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, was

attending a consultative meeting for policy

makers and leaders on AU’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). Tumusiime observed that though many African countries provide fewer inputs to farmers, many have registered

progress in the area of agriculture-led growth. Therefore Ugandan farmers had a comparative advantage which they ought to take advantage of.

“Ugandan farmers need to know how blessed they are, good climate, two seasons a year, and neighbours

yearning for their produce. These factors alone are opportunities that they should use. It is time to teach farmers

not to wait for government,” she said. Conducive environment “There is a syndrome called ‘government-should-help-us’, which has become very common with our

smallholder farmers. We need to change this because there is no evidence indicating full government support

to farmers that has been sustained,” she added. On his part, Rubarema pointed out that the government is creating a conducive environment to enable farmers

move from small-scale subsistence farming to the commercial level. This is with the view that it will fuel the process of transformation, which would contribute to a change of

mindsets.

“The various opportunities available will enable farmers to gain confidence to walk the talk. It can help farmers

think in business terms,” he said. During the week-long conference, held last month, the delegati