Africa-Press – Uganda. Uganda’s Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (MAAIF), has partnered with South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA), to launch the “Development of Africa Rice Seed Cultivation Complex in Uganda.”
This project worth Shs 14.8 billion targets the Tochi Irrigation Scheme in Oyam District, northern Uganda.
As part of the K-Rice Belt program, it aims to enhance rice production, curb imports, and drive commercial farming.
Commissioner for Crop Protection Stephen Byantware, representing MAAIF’s Permanent Secretary Major General David Kasura-Kyomukama, thanked the Korean government for its support.
“The project will rehabilitate 65 hectares and introduce a high-yielding rice variety yielding up to 5 metric tons per acre,” he said.
It targets producing 13,000 metric tons of certified seeds annually, serving as a model for farmers to adopt better practices, boost incomes, and improve marketing.
Byantware stressed its alignment with Uganda’s value chain strategy for rice, from seeds to sales, and urged timely contractor delivery to benefit northern farmers.
Oyam District Chairperson Dilla Benson Oyuku called the launch a “lifesaver” for struggling farmers.
The Tochi scheme, built in 2016 with Shs 28 billion from the African Development Bank and Nordic Development Fund, covers sub-counties like Acaba, Minakulu, and Ngai, intended for 1,000 households in rice and fish farming. Yet, floods, poor drainage, and 991 idle plots as of late 2024 have reduced operations to under 10% capacity.
Oyuku anticipates technological upgrades, training, improved seeds, and market access will transition farmers from subsistence to commercial agriculture, generating youth and women employment.
Project Manager Kim Shinjae detailed plans: clearing land, building facilities like seed storage and dryers, and supplying Korean high-yielding seeds to triple or quadruple outputs versus traditional methods.
“We’ll produce over 10,000 tons of seeds yearly for 30 million African consumers,” he noted, including machinery training and export facilitation.
This project addresses Uganda’s rice history since 1904 and low yields (1.7-3.6 tons/ha in the north versus 5 tons potential).
By reducing 344,000-ton annual imports, it promises food security and economic growth. Stakeholders emphasized execution to maximize impact.
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