Africa-Press – Uganda. Government has handed over a fleet of vehicles and motorcycles to districts across the country in a renewed push to strengthen agricultural extension services and address long-standing bottlenecks affecting productivity.
The equipment, distributed under the Uganda Climate Smart Agricultural Transformation Project (UCSATP), is expected to improve mobility for frontline extension workers who have struggled for years to reach farmers, particularly in remote rural areas.
Presiding over the handover at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, Vice President Jessica Alupo said the intervention is critical to improving service delivery and accelerating Uganda’s transition to climate-smart agriculture.
“These vehicles and motorcycles are key tools in strengthening our capacity to deliver services to farmers, improving implementation efficiency, and accelerating Uganda’s journey towards climate-smart agricultural transformation,” Alupo said.
She noted that limited transport has constrained last-mile delivery of agricultural services, weakening farmers’ access to technical guidance and support. With the new fleet, extension staff are expected to “reach farmers more efficiently, provide timely technical support, strengthen monitoring, and enhance accountability.”
Alupo warned district leaders against misuse of the assets, stressing that the vehicles and motorcycles must be used strictly for official duties.
“These are public resources entrusted to you to serve our farmers. Let us not look for more excuses not to serve the farmers,” she said, calling for transparency, proper maintenance, and accountability in their use.
Agriculture remains Uganda’s largest employer and a major driver of export earnings, with officials pointing to strong performance in the coffee sub-sector, which generated about USD 2.4 billion over the past 12 months. Government says improving extension services is central to sustaining such growth and raising household incomes.
Agriculture Minister Frank Tumwebaze said inadequate extension services largely due to limited mobility have for years hindered farmers from adopting modern agronomic practices.
“One issue that has been stifling extension over the years… is mobility for the extension workers,” Tumwebaze said, noting that many farmers rarely interact with extension officers, affecting productivity and resilience.
He said the newly deployed vehicles and motorcycles are among the first major deliverables under UCSATP and are expected to directly improve farmers’ access to advisory services.
“The implication of these vehicles and motorbikes is that extension workers will be able to reach our farmers and provide the much-needed advisory services,” he said, adding that improved outreach should translate into higher production and better household incomes.
Tumwebaze also outlined broader structural challenges facing the sector, including limited mechanization, inadequate irrigation, weak disease control systems, and poor market access due to infrastructure gaps.
“These bottlenecks have been stifling agricultural transformation, and this project is designed to systematically address them,” he said, urging faster implementation of other planned interventions.
He called on district leaders, including Resident District Commissioners and Chief Administrative Officers, to ensure the equipment is used effectively to deliver value for money.
“Let us ensure that we give the public value for money by ensuring that the objective of these vehicles and motorcycles of enhancing access to extension services is realized,” Tumwebaze said.
The minister also urged extension workers to expand their outreach through local radio stations, saying available airtime should be used to disseminate agricultural advisories rather than political messaging.
Officials said the UCSATP, supported by the World Bank, is focused on improving productivity, climate resilience, and market access, while strengthening institutional capacity at district level.
Alupo called for stronger coordination among implementing agencies and faster execution of project activities to meet targets, emphasizing that success will depend on collective commitment.
“The success of this project depends on our collective commitment as Government, development partners, and district-level implementers,” she said.
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