.In an effort aimed at improving access to affordable agricultural mechanisation among smallholder farmers across the country.Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries has commissioned over 200 Single Axle Tractors,
The equipments procured at a cost of Shs57.2 billion will support farmers in land opening, ploughing, transportation, value addition and other agricultural activities as government seeks to transform subsistence farming into commercial agriculture.
Agricultural mechanization in Uganda is transitioning from manual hand hoes to modern machinery, driven by government initiatives and Only about 15% of farmers in Uganda have access to agricultural mechanization.
Most farmers operate on small, fragmented plots of 1 to 3 acres, making large tractors economically impractical for individual owners.
Speaking during the launch at the Ministry’s offices in Kampala, Desire Muhoza the State Minister for Agriculture said agricultural mechanisation remains a key pillar in Uganda’s journey towards achieving middle-income status, noting that about 68% of Ugandans depend on smallholder farming.
She stressed that the tractors will be distributed to selected farmer groups and institutions across the 146 District Local Governments, with beneficiaries expected to sign a three-year Memorandum of Understanding to ensure proper utilisation, maintenance and sustainability of the equipment however the ministry train equipment operators, mechanics and technicians before deployment, while regular monitoring will be conducted to minimise breakdowns and extend the lifespan of the machinery.
“In previous years, the Ministry procured and distributed 650 high-capacity tractors with matching implements, together with 1,000 Single Axle Tractors to farmers under the Parish Development Model (PDM) programme,” Muhoza noted.
Muhoza told the gathering that her ministry plans to establish 20 Zonal Agricultural Mechanisation Centres starting with Mbale, Dokolo, Iganga, Nabilatuk, Soroti, Mpigi, Kiryandongo and Kiruhura districts for training, upgrading and accrediting equipment operators, mechanics and technicians, while providing access to machinery services for farmers.
She further revealed that Namalere National Agricultural Mechanisation Referral Centre will be equipped to serve as a Centre of Excellence for skills development and promotion of sustainable mechanised farming.
“The equipments will be deployed alongside other agricultural machinery, including 135-horsepower tractors for Zonal Agricultural Mechanisation Centres, 90-horsepower tractors for large-scale farmers and 75-horsepower tractors targeting medium-scale farmers,”Muhoza stated.
The move according to the minister is intended to move farmers away from dependence on rudimentary hand tools and rain-fed agriculture towards modern farming practices, including irrigation and commercial production.
Agriculture employs 72% of Uganda’s population, but heavy reliance on hand hoes causes fatigue, low acreage, and delayed planting during changing weather patterns
