The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), has successfully handed over a range of modern mechanization tools including 55 handheld walk behind tractors to smallholder farmers in Karamoja.
This initiative is viewed as a critical step toward reversing the region’s low agricultural productivity, which has been largely attributed to reliance on traditional, labor-intensive farming practices.
The equipment distribution is part of the “Fostering Sustainability and Resilience for Food Security in the Karamoja Sub-region” (F-SURE) project, a five-year initiative funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and jointly implemented by FAO and UNDP.
The project aims to support over 12,000 farming households across the districts of Karenga, Kaabong, Kotido, Moroto, Nabilatuk, and Nakapiripirit.
F-SURE promotes agro-pastoralism a hybrid approach that combines crop and livestock farming as a pathway to increased resilience, higher productivity, and reduced conflict over natural resources.
Speaking at the handover ceremony on Monday, FAO’s outgoing Country Representative in Uganda, Antonio Querido, emphasized the project’s long-term vision of enhancing food security and sustainable agricultural practices in the region.
By Charles Katabalwa
15th April 2025
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