The functions of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) are derived from the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, the Local Governments Act (1997) and the Public Service Reform Programme (PSRP). The role of MAAIF is to create an enabling environment in the Agricultural Sector. The agricultural sector is fragmented and dominated by small farmers most of whom combine subsistence farming with cash crop and livestock farming. Most farmers own land individually except in parts of Northern Uganda where pastoralists land is owned communally. Farming is gradually becoming mechanised although the bulk of cultivation is still done by hand or cattle driven ox ploughs. Large / Commercial-scale farming of cash crops is found in the Central, South and South Western parts of Uganda. There are commercial plantations of tea, palms, rice, and sugarcane. Coffee and banana plantations tend to be small although, in some parts of the South West, there are some commercial-scale banana plantations that supply produce to Kampala and other urban centers. Livestock farming is on a small scale; by small farmers too, although of recent commercial ranches are gradually beginning to increase in parts of the South West. Commercial fishing is still rare. Small-scale fish mongers catch fish from Uganda’s lakes and rivers and sell it. Increasingly, fish processing plants are being set up to process and pack frozen fish for export.
Resources
The Ministry – Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries