By Mulengera Reporters
Uganda’s Cabinet has approved a nationwide fertilizer distribution programme as the government moves to tackle low agricultural productivity and increase production of strategic crops.
The intervention will see the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries procure, supply and distribute fertilizers to farmers in different parts of the country, with beneficiaries under the Parish Development Model also targeted.
ICT and National Guidance Minister Justine Kasule Lumumba announced the Cabinet decision on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, while briefing journalists on resolutions from Monday’s Cabinet meeting.
Lumumba said the programme is intended to increase both the production and productivity of strategic crops while supporting households participating in the Parish Development Model.
“The Ministry will work out the detailed implementation arrangements and communicate to the public, including information on the targeted crops, beneficiary areas and distribution process,” Lumumba said.
The announcement comes as farmers enter a period when access to agricultural inputs could have a direct bearing on the next production cycle, with rains already being reported in several parts of the country.
Government targets productivity gap
While agriculture remains one of the main pillars of Uganda’s economy, farmers continue to face challenges that limit yields, including low use of fertilizers and improved seeds, inadequate mechanization, soil degradation and limited irrigation.
Agriculture contributed about 26.2 percent of Uganda’s GDP in the 2024/25 financial year and grew by 6.6 percent during the same period, according to the Agriculture Ministry’s latest statistical abstract.
Uganda produced about 4.27 million tons of maize and 771,000 tons of beans in 2024, while milk production reached 5.4 billion liters.
The country has also continued to earn significant export revenues from agricultural commodities.
Coffee exports reached 7.75 million 60-kilogramme bags valued at about $2.21 billion in the 2024/25 financial year. Cocoa exports were valued at about $620.76 million, while maize exports generated $123.79 million.
However, the government’s latest fertilizer intervention suggests that increasing production will require more than expanding cultivated acreage.
Low application of modern farm inputs has remained a major constraint to productivity, particularly among smallholder farmers who often cannot afford fertilizers at prevailing market prices.
Farmers remain exposed to weather shocks
The dependence on rain-fed agriculture further complicates efforts to raise farm output.
Drought, erratic rainfall, flooding, pests and diseases can significantly affect harvests, leaving farmers exposed to production and income losses.
The Agriculture Ministry estimates that pests and diseases can cause pre-harvest losses of between 10 and 20 percent, while post-harvest losses can rise to between 20 and 30 percent.
Farmers also face limited access to affordable agricultural finance, insurance and formal credit, while poor rural roads and other infrastructure increase the cost of transporting inputs and produce.
These challenges have made the cost and availability of farm inputs a critical issue for households seeking to move from subsistence production into commercial agriculture.
Fertilizer programme linked to PDM
By linking the fertilizer intervention to the Parish Development Model, the government is also positioning agricultural inputs as part of its wider strategy to increase household incomes and move communities into the money economy.
The PDM is designed to support households through interventions aimed at increasing production, improving access to financial services and strengthening local economic activity.
For farmers, however, the impact of the fertilizer programme will depend heavily on how the inputs are allocated and delivered.
The Agriculture Ministry is yet to announce the specific crops that will be prioritized, the districts and beneficiary categories that will receive the fertilizers, or the quantities to be distributed.
Those details are expected to be communicated once implementation arrangements are finalized.
Push to expand fertilizer supply
The latest Cabinet decision adds to government efforts to increase access to fertilizers and other agricultural inputs.
In 2025, the government backed plans for a $180 million organic fertilizer factory at Kampiringisa, with a proposed annual production capacity of 250,000 metric tons.
The broader objective is to reduce constraints around farm inputs while improving soil fertility and increasing yields.
With agriculture still employing a large share of Uganda’s population, the success of the new fertilizer programme could have implications beyond individual farms, including food security, household incomes, agro-processing and agricultural exports.
For now, farmers are waiting for the Agriculture Ministry to spell out where the fertilizers will go, which crops will be prioritized and how beneficiaries will access the inputs. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
