Making Aid Work on the Ground; Farm Project in Uganda

Farmers participating in NAADS are small farmers. They are members of farmer groups, who then apply for support through the subcounty farmers fora. The majority of NAADS participating farmers are female. Women in NAADS subcounties demonstrate higher incomes and productivity than those in non-NAADS subcounties.

The objective of NAADS is to transform farmers from subsistence to commercial. This is done in several ways. First, by encouraging farmers to adopt products which the market demands through the provision of advisory services. Second, to link farmers to market by organizing both the supply and demand side. For example NAADs helped farmers organize into groups to market rice, vanilla, sorghum, groundnuts, temperate fruits, etc. Farmers decide which three products they wish to adopt, then advisors are hired through a tendering process to provide this service. The groups also receive inputs to get started. In my opinion, African farmers need information as well as access to inputs and markets to succeed.

NAADS like any other development activity is subject to political interference. In my view, the best way to ensure that the project benefits the intended farmers is to put the farmers in charge of deciding what will be provided and who will participate. Also, NAADS ensures that farmers decide whether a service provider’s contract will be renewed or not. If services are not given, the service provider is fired.

This is an interesting question which has come up in Uganda, as many areas have poor soil. Part of the NAADS advisory package encourages adoption of new technologies, which includes ensuring sustainability through soil and water management. For example upland rice production has been promoted, and Uganda’s rice production has increased by four times over the last two years. Soil management has been part of this success story. A farming system approach as well as a commodity specific/market oriented approach has been adopted.

The Government of Uganda and six development partners including the World Bank support NAADS. Support to date has totaled US$ 100 million over eight years, with US$ 50 million from the World Bank. The project started slower than expected, was extended by one year, with this phase of support ending June 2009.

Over the life of the project, NAADS has supported many technologies which have boosted farm incomes for the participants. Notably, vanilla, upland rice, mangos, oranges, temperate fruits such as apples and pears in Ugandan highlands have been supported, as well as more traditional crops such as groundnuts, sorghum, bananas. Livestock production has also been boosted through introduction of improved breeds of goats and chickens. Advisory services as well as startup inputs are provided. The market situation as well as agronomic and other considerations weigh into the choice of activity for each subcounty, who each pick three enterprises per year as their focus.

For World Bank activities in Botswana, you can check this website. http://web.worldbank.org/external/projects/main?query=botswana&menuPK=51526592&pagePK=218616&piPK=217470&status=ALL&theSitePK=40941

NAADS aims to increase the agricultural production and incomes of participating farmers through providing knowledge and inputs. The objective is to transform subsistence farmers to commercial farmers, so much attention is paid to creating market linkages by working on both the production side and the marketing side. Existing and new enterprises have been supported. Vanilla is a good example of a new enterprise which was introduced in Uganda when Madagascar suffered bad weather and could not meet world market demand. As a result Uganda is now the fourth largest producer of Vanilla. The project is not a food security project per se, the focus is to encourage farmers to both produce enough food for their own consumption, produce cash crops for income, and to produce enough surplus to provide for their families.

Yes, the World Bank along with six other donors support NAADS, which is the Government’s sole programme supporting agricultural advisory services in Uganda.

This is a good question. NAADS is very different than traditional agricultural productivity projects in Africa. First, it is supported by development partners through a basket funding mechanism, which means funds are co-mingled, government only needs to produce one progress report, one audited set of accounts, etc. Secondly, its approach is to provide publicly funded advisory services through private service provision. That is farmer fora at subcounty level contract service providers according to their felt needs. Thirdly, the project supports the value chain from farmer to buyer/manufacturer by linking farmers to businesses who are demanding products which they can produce.

This is another good question. The role of government funded support in NAADS is very specific, the program supports market linkages in several ways. First, it guides subcounties as they pick their three enterprises by providing market and agronomic information. Secondly, it seeks out buyers/enterprises in the area who can establish a marketing relationship with the farmers. It has not always been easy to draw the line where the government should stop and business should take over. We have designed the guidelines for NAADS to focus on production and primary processing, so farmers can get their production to market in an economic way. From there on commercial business is encouraged to contract farmers without the participation of government/the project. In some cases, we have encouraged commercial enterprises to participate in the provision of advisory services and inputs as well, with some success.

I would like you to take a look at the project website to see what is happening with Ugandan Agriculture. Here is the link.. http://www.naads.or.ug/

NAADS farm groups, along with advisory services, are provided startup inputs such as seed and fertilizer, or chickens or goats, for livestock activities. They are encouraged and supported to create revolving funds to save together, so they can continue into subsequent seasons, and eventually become good customers of microfinance institutions and banks.
Market linkages are a key part of NAADS advisory support, as described in earlier answers.
NAADS does not provide support beyond primary value addition, to allow farmers to market their goods. Larger investments are supported through microfinance.
NAADS is a 25 year programme of the Government of Uganda. Farmers as well as local and national government contribute. The vision is to lift farmers out of poverty, so they can sustain their production. However, the role of government and development partners is to support farmers through introduction of improved technologies and market access to keep with the changing world and global happenings. For example, the food price crisis presents an opportunity for African farmers to produce more food to meet these new demands. In addition, with changes in the world’s climate, places like Uganda, which sufficient rainfall and water sources can produce for areas which are not as well endowed.

Hope, this is a good question. Land is scarce in Uganda, and needs to be utilized to the maximum. Opening land which is not under cultivation is part of this, as is improving livestock production and keeping land fertile and productive. Mechanization is part of the answer, but there have been many failures due to lack of farmer ownership and political interference. NAADS is working this year with a “walking tractor”, an improved plough from Asia which can help small farmers open more land for production.

Service provision under NAADS is publicly funded, but privately provided. Farmers through their farmer fora determine the demand for types of service, guided by agronomic and market information. The approach was adapted from Latin America, I see no reason why it could not be adapted for Asia.
Farmers, local government, national government and development partners all contribute financially to the program. The vision is that over the 25 year life, farmers and local government share will increase. Also, farmers who become successful and commercial will graduate from the program. The program has just reached national coverage this year, and a second phase of support to this important national program is envisaged to start in July 2009.