In 2018, government in partnership with the World Bank, introduced the electronic voucher (e-voucher) management system to monitor and regulate the quality of inputs on the market.
The system, which rolled out the Agriculture Cluster Development Project (ACDP), was also aimed at lowering transaction costs and establish collaboration between the large-scale dealers and lower-level dealers.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), which is implementing the Project, the target was to reach at least 450,000 farmers countrywide within three years.
Farmers that are benefiting from this project are involved in, but not limited to, growing of coffee, maize, beans, cassava and rice.
According to Henry Nakelet Opolot, the ACDP coordinator, the system has already onboarded over 420,000 farmers.
“We have attained 93 percent success so far in training and enrolling farmers into the e-voucher system,” Opolot said while briefing the new Agriculture minister Frank Tumwebaze as per the ministry's statement. "Of this, about 200,984 have already accessed and used the subsidized inputs."
ACP was started to raise on-farm productivity, production and marketable volumes of selected agricultural commodities.
Dr. Opolot revealed that the total value of inputs distributed to farmers through the Farmers’ Matching Government Contributions (FMGC) framework currently stands at Shs 81 billion.
“Government’s contribution is Shs54bn and is matched by Shs27bn from farmers, who have demonstrated ability to contribute and invest in agricultural inputs,” he said, according to the statement.
ACDP has also established 167 storage facilities and 146 processing facilities through 192 farmer organizations in 25 districts.
“Of the 146 value addition facilities, there are 58 coffee hullers, 39 maize mills, 27 rice mills, 15 cassava mills and 7 beans sorters,” Dr. Opolot said.
“Other equipments given out to farmers include 58 commercial weighing scales, 64 moisture meters and 27 driers.”
Through ACDP, farmer organizations have also acquired grants, with Shs48bn given to 170 farmer organizations.
"Government’s contribution is Shs 32 billion while the rest has been raised by farmer organizations," he said.
Minister Tumwebaze advised the management to create working synergies and avoid duplication of resources and responsibilities for a more efficient sector.
