Agriculture Uganda

12/01/2026

Join the fight against Antimicrobial Resistance: Uganda has to date registered success in the campaign against Antimicrobial Resistance and we all have a part to play to avoid it.

What is Antimicrobial Resistance?

Antimicrobial Resistance is a trend whereby micro-organisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites change and resist when exposed to antimicrobial drugs.

Antimicrobial drugs/antimicrobials are medicines used to treat infections caused by the microorganisms listed above.

Why Antimicrobial Drugs are important

Antimicrobial drugs are essential to both human and animal health, but in recent years, some bacteria have demonstrated full or partial resistance to various antimicrobial agents.

Importance of Antimicrobials in Animal Production

Antimicrobial agents, including antibiotics, save millions of lives, substantially reduce the burden of diseases in animals, improve animal welfare, contribute to improved food production and safety, improve quality of life of animal owners and consequently contribute to the national economic development.

However the misuse of antimicrobials in animals can result into antimicrobial resistance which would not only affect animal health but could also, subsequently, have significant effects on public health, environmental health and economic development.

Main causes of Antimicrobial Resistance

The causes of Antimicrobial Resistance include:

1. Over prescription and overuse of antimicrobials.
2. Poor animal husbandry practices.
3. Poor farm bio-security and
4. A defective or absent infection prevention and control system.

Most importantly, farmers are called upon to only administer antimicrobial drugs following the guidance of a qualified Veterinary Officer or Animal Health Expert.

12/01/2026

Structured procedure controlling pests and diseases in coffee, suitable for agricultural training, exams, and practical farming.

1.Field inspection and early detection
Regularly inspect coffee plants (at least once a week). Check leaves (upper and lower surfaces), stems, flowers, and berries for signs of pests or diseases such as holes in berries, yellowing leaves, spots, wilting, or premature fruit drop. Early detection reduces spread and cost of control.

2.Proper field sanitation
Remove and destroy infected plant parts such as diseased leaves, dry branches, and fallen berries. Uproot and burn severely infected plants. Do not leave infected materials in the field as they act as sources of reinfestation.

3.Use of resistant and recommended varieties
Plant certified, disease-resistant coffee varieties suited to the area. This is the first and most effective preventive measure against major diseases such as coffee leaf rust and coffee berry disease.

4.Proper spacing and pruning
Maintain recommended spacing to allow good air circulation and sunlight pe*******on. Prune regularly to remove overcrowded, old, weak, and diseased branches. Good aeration reduces humidity, which favors fungal diseases.
Shade regulation.

5.Maintain moderate shade. Excessive shade encourages fungal diseases, while no shade stresses plants and increases pest damage. Proper shade balances plant health and pest control.

6.Soil fertility and plant nutrition
Apply adequate manure and fertilizers based on soil requirements. Healthy, well-nourished plants are more resistant to pests and diseases. Avoid excessive nitrogen, which promotes soft growth attractive to pests.

7.Weed management
Control weeds regularly to reduce pest habitats and improve air circulation. Weeds also compete for nutrients and water, weakening coffee plants and making them more susceptible to diseases.

27/02/2024

HASS AVOCADO: A crop that can earn you 28 million per year from one acre

Hass avocados are a stone fruit with a creamy texture that grow in warm climates. Their potential health benefits include improving digestion, decreasing risk of depression, and protection against cancer.

They are naturally nutrient-dense food and contain nearly 20 vitamins and minerals. It is the only fruit that provides a substantial amount of healthy monounsaturated fatty acids. Avocados are also used to produce cosmetic products and herbal medicines.

Basing on the above mentioned economic and health benefits of the avocados, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) has resolved to partner with farmers across the Country who are ready to grow avocado on large scale.

This was revealed today by Hon. Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja the Minister for MAAIF on a working day visit to Masubi Farm at Masubi Village, Bukabooli Sub-county in Mayuge District.

He said avocado growing is one of the areas where MAAIF will pump its resources as a strategy to enhance its production. In a meeting attended by farmers, Commissioners and Directors from MAAIF, the Minister informed the audience that there is a huge market for avocado in Europe and other parts of the World like United Arab Emirates and Asia.

“A farmer can earn up to UGX 28 million per year from one acre of 160 trees for over 40 years. We only need to organize our farmers to ensure constant supply to the available market”. The Minister said.

He added that consultative meetings have been on, between MAAIF technical team and avocado farmers. “MAAIF horticulture team found out that Musubi Farm could be used as a model nucleus farm in our struggle to enhance avocado production in the Country, that is why we are here today”. He said.

Masubi Farm is a Hass Avocado value chain development project. It was tasked by MAAIF to take a lead role in rolling out this grand development plan by developing 2500 acres of the av

27/02/2024

MAIZE PLANTING:
1. Spacing: 75cmX60cm planting 2 seeds/hole.
2. Fertiliser: planting use DAP at 50kg/acre, top dressing use UREA at 25kg/acre.
3. Seed rate: 10kg/acre.
4. Use high yielding varieties customised for your agroecological zone.
5. Carry out timely weeding and pests management on time.
6. Yield: 1500kg+/acre.

27/02/2024

Quick tips on maize planting; depth and spacing

1). Rows should be spaced 2½ - 3 feet apart.

2). Plants should be spaced 8-10 inches apart between plants.

3). For early plantings, seeds should be no deeper than 1 inch.

4). For later plantings, plant seeds 1-2 inches deep to ensure adequate moisture contact.

09/09/2023

Dairy farming: Tips on feeding management for better profits

Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy) for eventual sale of a dairy product.

In dairy production, feeding is one of the very important management practices to consider. It is a major challenge to most farmers. It constitutes about 80% of the cost of rearing the animal.

Feeding is done at the rate of 3% body weight. The ration should contain all essential nutrients at the right amounts and proportion:

Energy
This should constitute 80% of the daily ration. Sources include pasture grasses and fodder crops like maize, sorghum that can be us to make silage or fed fresh etc. One can also use energy concentrates like maize germ, bran

Protein
Sunflower, groundnuts, cotton, soya beans, fish meal, bone and meat meal and other fodder crops like callindra, leucaena, mulberry, sesbania, disodium etc etc.

Vitamins
Green feed material

Fat
Fat in nuts like groundnuts, simsim and cotton. Avoid feeding excess fat

Minerals
Licks should provide calcium, copper, cobalt, magnesium etc.

Water
Water should be clean and adequate for the animals to drink.

09/09/2023

Uganda registers highest coffee exports in 30 years

By George Katongole-Daily Monitor

Coffee exports in Uganda have recorded the highest ever export volumes, according to the Uganda Coffee Development Authority.

Latest data from the authority show a steady recovery of the crop as volume exports increased by 43 per cent from 3.557 million bags exported in the 2015/16 Financial Year to 5.103 million bags in 2019/20. This is the highest volume of coffee that Uganda has ever exported in the last 30 years.

According to the regulator, the increase in exports has been attributed to increased production following fruition of newly planted trees without significant effects of the coronavirus pandemic affecting export destinations.

A severe dry spell in the world’s largest producer, Brazil, led to a decrease of bags from 37.2 million bags down from 38.8 million bags harvested in 2019/20.

The ICO notes that overall global exports were down 3.8 per cent for the first 10 months of the 2020 amid the Covid-19 scare, but the shipments recovered. In October 2020, the first month of the coffee year 2020/21, global exports totaled 9.67 million bags.

Production continues to outpace demand, a trend that continues this year.Coffee is Uganda’s priority commodity and plays a leading role in the livelihoods of many Ugandans contributing on average 30 per cent to the national economy.

It supports over 1.7 million farming families in 114 districts. But the farmers are still complaining of the low prices. Coffee costs about Shs3,800 at the farm. Cleaned coffee, commonly known as Fair Average Quality (FAQ), costs about Shs3,900 a kilo.

UCDA Managing Director, Emmanuel Iyamulemye Niyibigira says exports can be complemented with efforts at home to offer more benefits to farmers.

“We have started a process where we bring experts from abroad who are medical people so that they explain that coffee actually has health benefits. We are also looking at how we can promote roasting in the count

09/09/2023