• LOGIN
  • No products in the cart.

GEO3/5: GEOGRAPHY PAPER 3 UGANDA:Agricultural modernisation in Uganda

This units elaborates how modernisation of agriculture has been undertaken.It looks at ways of modernising agriculture,the purpose of modernising agriculture, problems limiting agricultural modernisation and how the problems have been mitigated in ugamda

AGRICULTURAL MODERNISATION

It refers to the use of more scientific methods of crop and animal husbandry in an attempt to increase production.

It can also refer to the transformation of the subsistence sector into an economically dynamic structure that responds to market demands and one that can provide a livelihood to feed the nation, generate surplus for foreign exchange.

Modern agricultural system is characterised by the following;

  • A shift from subsistence to commercial agriculture that responds to market opportunities of demand.
  • A shift from low to high value farming systems e.g. market gardening.
  • A shift from low to high yielding technologies e.g. tractors
  • Use of improved crop seed varieties and animal breeds which can ensure high out put with minimal inputs.
  • Sustainable utilisation of natural resources i e meeting the current demands of people but at the same time preserving the same for future generations e.g. agro forestry.

In Uganda there have been efforts to modernise agriculture through improvement of quality and quantity of the agricultural produce and this is evident at the following areas;

  • Sugarcane plantations at Kakira, lugazi, kinyara etc.
  • Oil palm tree plantations at kalangala.
  • Rice irrigation schemes at Doho in Butalejja, Kibimba in Bugiri etc.
  • Tea plantations at kasaku lugazi, Mityana, Kabarole etc.
  • Floriculture in Entebbe, mpigi etc.
  • Ranching schemes in mbarara, nakasongola, Arua etc.
  • Coffee plantation in mubende, masaka, Mityana
  • Demonstration farms and research stations at kawanda, Namulonge etc.

Draw a map of Uganda showing areas where agricultural modernisation has been undertaken.

irrigation as a form of modernising agriculture

Measures that have been undertaken to modernise agriculture in Uganda.

  1. Establishment of agro- based industries to add value on the agricultural produce so as to improve on the marketability even beyond Uganda for higher revenues e.g. GBK milk processing plant in Mbarara, fruit processing plant in Soroti, Maganjo grain mills in kampala etc.
  2. Provision of credit facilities to farmers, this has helped farmers to acquire improved agricultural in puts such as fertilizers, agricultural machinery, veterinary services etc. The credits have been extended to individual farmers and farmer groups through programmes like modernisation of agriculture through NAADS, Youth livelihood funds etc.
  3. Empowering women by educating them about better methods of agricultural production, this is because women take up the biggest percentage of agricultural labour force so through there has been improvement in the quality and quantity of the agricultural out puts. This is seen in coffee growing in Masaka and mubende.
  4. Encouragement of zonal production where several farming zones have been identified in order to help farmers engage in agricultural activities that do well in those particular areas where they have a comparative advantage e.g. citrus growing in the districts of Soroti, Kumi, coffee growing in the districts of masaka, Mityana, dairy farming in mbarara, Bushenyi etc.
  5. Extensive awareness programmes have carried out to continuously advise farmers on new and modern agricultural practices and this has been spear headed by government institutions like NAADS, NARO but also through agricultural exhibitions like the Annual agricultural show in Jinja, pakasa exhibitions in Kampala etc.
  6. Environmental conservation methods have been encouraged so as to ensure continuous productivity of land and reduce on environmental degradation through avoiding soil erosion by terracing and inter cropping, maintenance of soil fertility through use of manure etc. This is evident in coffee and banana growing in Mbale, Masaka etc.
  7. Improvement in transport and communication networks to ease the transportation of the agricultural produce from producing areas to market centres and processing plants so as the produce will reach markets easily e.g. milk, meat, bananas from mbarara, masaka to Kampala to through mbarara-Masaka-Kampala road.
  8. Encouraging intensive farming practices like market gardening to target urban areas which requires small pieces of land using scientific methods so as to get high yields e.g. in Mukono, Kabale, Mbale etc.
  9. Training of skilled labour is being done from various agricultural colleges and universities to provide agricultural technical services to farmers in the different areas e.g. extension workers at sub county levels in Mukono, Iganga, and Isingiro etc.
  10. Diversification of crops grown is being done by introducing new crops besides the traditional ones e.g. introduction of wheat growing in kapchorwa, Apple growing in kabale, Vanilla growing in mukono etc.
  11. Encouraging group farming i.e. co-operative unions, SACCOs which has helped farmers to market there produce and also get farm inputs on subsidized prices e.g. send a cow project in mukono, Bugisu co-operative union for coffee growing in Mbale.
  12. Increased mechanisation of agriculture to improve on the quantity and quality of the agricultural produce e.g. use of ox-ploughs, tractors, in moyo, Nebbi
  13.  
  14. Introduction of irrigation farming to cater for farming even during prolonged droughts and in relatively dry areas and this is evident at mobuku irrigation scheme in kasese.
  15. Importation of improved seed varieties and animal breeds plus fertilizers is being done to increase agricultural productivity e.g. Boer goats from South Africa to areas of kabaale, mubende etc
  16. There is improved research aimed at coming up with high yielding, disease resistant varieties of crops like clonal coffee, bananas , cassava and animal breeds like pigs, goats etc. this is done at kawanda research station, namulonge research station etc.
  17. Disease control measures on farms are being done through regular spraying of crops and animals against pests that cause diseases, vaccination and deworming of animals all these are done to improve the quality and quantity of agricultural produce e.g. in mbarara, Bushenyi etc.
  18. Improving on security by deploying security personnel to encourage farming activities to take place especially in those areas that have been previously destabilized by rebels e.g. Kasese, Bundibugyo, and Gulu etc.
  19. Use of both inorganic and organic (manure) fertilizers is being encouraged to improve on soil fertility for high productivity e.g. tea growing in Kabarole, Banana growing in mbarara etc.
  20. Establishment of better storage facilities e.g. cotton stores in kamuli, milk cooling plants in Bushenyi, Tobacco stores in Arua, maize stores in Mityana etc. These have been established to reduce on the post harvest losses that results into losses.
  21. Encouraging population control measures e.g. use of family planning methods in the densely populated areas like kabale, mbale, Iganga to reduce on pressure on land for settlement so as it is saved for large-scale farming.

                         

Embracing technology in agriculture

Factors limiting agricultural modernisation in Uganda

Physical limitations

  1. Unreliable rainfall received in some parts of the country. This has hindered the success of modernisation because it affects proper growth of crops this limiting the quality and quantity of agricultural produce e.g. in areas of Soroti and Kumi it affects citrus growing, Mityana and Mubende it affects maize growing etc.
  2. The poor infertile soils in some Parts of the country yet effective agricultural practices require fertile soils to adequately support crop growth and pasture growth for the animals this therefore has limited the quantity and quality of agricultural produce e.g. cattle keeping in Buliisa and kaabong, maize growing in Kamuli etc.
  3. Some parts of the country are characterised with very steep slopes which discourages mechanisation thus limiting used of improved technology. This is evident especially in the mountainous areas like Bundibugyo and Kabarole districts limiting banana growing, Mbale and Sironko limiting coffee production etc.
  4. Severe soil erosion in some parts of the country, this is common around mountainous areas that receive relatively high amounts of rainfall resulting in high run off that washes away top soils leading to soil exhaustion. This has limited vegetable and tea growing in kabaale and Kisoro.
  5. High altitude areas experience very cool temperatures which can not support crop growth thus limiting the average land available for agriculture. This is evident around the high mountains of Rwenzori in districts of Bundibugyo and Kasese limiting banana growing, around mt. Elgon in districts of Bududa, Manafwa limiting coffee growing etc.
  6. Low land areas that are associated with relatively high temperatures and low rainfall has also limited crop growing e.g. at the rift valley floor at muhookya in kasese has affected cotton and maize growing, in areas of Buliisa and ntoroko it has hindered pasture growth for livestock farming.
  7. The poorly drained areas, some areas are poorly drained with very extensive swamps which limit the range of crops grown in those areas only allowing the water loving crops like yams, sugar can, rice etc. Such areas are also not suitable for livestock farming due to associated flooding e.g. In Pallisa, Kumi, Bugiri districts,
  8. Pests and diseases that attack and destroy crops and animals have also limited modernisation of agriculture in various areas of the country. Pests like tse tse flies that cause nagana in animals around kotido, moroto, nakasongola etc. Cassava mosaic disease has affected cassava growing in Gulu, lira etc.
  9. Natural calamities have also occasionally affected agricultural modernisation in the various parts of the country e.g. land slides in areas of Bududa and floods in kasese have limited coffee and banana growing in those areas, locusts invasion in districts of Amudat, Nakapiripiriti affecting cassava growing, prolonged droughts affecting livestock farming in Buliisa, Nakasongola districts.

Human limitations

  1. Tradition and customs attached to farming practices in some communities have hindered adaption of some modern agricultural practices e.g. in the Teso community in areas of Soroti and Kumi farming is taken to be a job for women hence limiting labour force, the karamajongs believe in rearing their traditional zebu cattle etc.
  2. The unfavourable land tenure system in some parts of the country Some forms of land ownership like the communal ownership of land in the pastoral areas like in kotido, moroto makes it hard to control grazing for livestock farmers and also to establish gardens for crop growing like sorghum and cassava.
  3. Limited capital to invest in modern machinery, improved seed varieties and animal breeds, paying labour force necessary for modern farming and as a result farmers have resorted to small farms with low productivity capacity e.g. coffee growing in masaka and Mbale, sugar cane growing in Mayuge and Iganga districts etc.
  4. Shortage of market for some agricultural produce, some prices of some agricultural produce are still low with high fluctuation rates which discourage farmers to grow the on a large-scale e.g. maize in areas of kamuli and Iganga, Bananas in Bushenyi and Mbarara, cotton in Lira etc.
  5. The poor transport and communication networks like roads, railways, and air transport have hindered the transportation of agricultural produce to market centres and processing factories plus farm inputs to different farms. Some roads are almost impassable during the rainy seasons e.g. Bududa- Manafwa-mbale road which has limited banana and coffee growing etc.
  6. Shortage of storage facilities which has resulted into post harvest losses especially during bumper harvests thus discouraging large-scale production and this has affected maize growing in Mityana, cassava growing in Gulu etc.
  7. Insecurity in some parts of the country has also limited agricultural activities and therefore modernisation. Some areas have been unsafe due to rebel insurgencies which can not allow people engage in productive agricultural activities e.g. ADF rebels in areas of Kasese and Bundibugyo affecting bean and passion fruit growing.
  8. Corruption where resources like funds that are earmarked for agricultural development ends up being embezzled therefore not doing what is meant to do. This is common with government institutions and programmes engaged in the agricultural sector like NAADS, programme for modernisation of agriculture etc. affecting tobacco growing in Arua, dairy farming in Kiruhuru etc.
  9. Low technological advancement yet agricultural modernisation requires advanced technology like use of tractors, combined harvesters, planters, water pumps for irrigation etc. Most of these are imported which makes it quite expensive thus limiting sugar cane growing in Jinja, rice growing in Doho Butalejja district etc.
  10. Shortage of skilled man power in form of agronomists, veterinary doctors, mechanical engineers help farmers with technical services on the different farms throughout the country. This has limited livestock farming in Nakasongola, Rakai etc. it has also affected citrus growing in Soroti and Kumi etc.
  11. Limited research due to inadequate funds and limited scientists to carry out research, this in turn has affected innovation and improvement on the methods of farming, breeds of animals and varieties of crops leaving farmers to resort to traditional practices that are not efficient thus limiting coffee growing in masaka, groundnuts growing in Soroti etc.
  12. Inadequate government support inform of funding where by the agricultural sector still takes small share on the national budget less than 6%, failure to implement policies like easy access to loans and other farm inputs like fertilizers, pesticides to farmers throughout the country. This has limited modernisation of livestock farming in Nakasongola, Moroto, and cotton growing in Lira etc.
  13. Population pressure caused by high population growth rates in many parts of the country that has caused high demand for land for settlement and other economic activities thus leaving limited available land for agricultural modernisation. This has affected plantation farming like tea growing in kabale, sugarcane growing in Jinja, kamuli etc.
  14. High rates of rural-urban migrations where mainly the youths move to urban areas for economic and social reasons, this has left the rural areas with limited agricultural labour to enhance agricultural modernisation and this has affected maize production in rural areas of Mubende, Mityana, and tobacco growing in Arua.

The video gives an over view of agricultural modernization

Assignment

Agricultural modernisation-assignment

ASSIGNMENT : Agricultural modernisation-assignment MARKS : 50  DURATION : 2 days

 

Courses

Featured Downloads