Uganda’s Cabinet has approved plans for the government to procure and distribute fertilisers to farmers across the country in a renewed push to raise productivity of strategic crops and strengthen the agricultural component of the Parish Development Model (PDM).
The decision was announced on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, by Rt. Hon. Justine Kasule Lumumba, Minister of ICT and National Guidance, who said the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) would oversee the procurement, supply and distribution programme.
“Through the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Government will distribute fertilisers to farmers in different parts of Uganda,” Lumumba said.
She said the intervention is intended to increase the production and productivity of strategic crops while supporting farmers participating in the PDM. Cabinet, however, has not yet publicly specified the quantity of fertiliser to be procured, the crops to be prioritised, the districts to benefit or the distribution schedule.
The Agriculture Ministry is expected to release detailed implementation arrangements, including the targeted crops, beneficiary areas and distribution process.
Low fertiliser use remains a major constraint
The government’s decision comes against a backdrop of persistently low fertiliser use in Uganda.
Uganda’s Fourth National Development Plan notes that fertiliser uptake remains low, with consumption estimated at between 0.23 and 1.5 kilogrammes per hectare, compared with a sub-Saharan African average of about 8 kilogrammes per hectare. The plan also estimates that only about 10 percent of agricultural households use inorganic fertilisers.
The government identifies affordability, availability and limited farmer knowledge as some of the factors restricting fertiliser use. Poor access to extension services, including guidance on soil testing and appropriate fertiliser application, has also limited adoption.
Counterfeit agricultural inputs present another challenge. The NDP IV says counterfeit inputs, including fertilisers, seeds and planting materials, may account for up to 30 percent of Uganda’s agro-inputs market, exposing farmers to losses and undermining productivity.
The planned government procurement therefore puts not only the volume of fertiliser on the agenda, but also questions of quality control, targeting and delivery.
PDM becomes a key channel
The fertiliser programme is also being linked directly to the Parish Development Model, which government describes as its last-mile strategy for moving households from subsistence production into the money economy.
PDM identifies agricultural inputs, including fertilisers, as part of the support required to improve production at parish level. Its priority commodities include coffee, maize, rice, beans, cassava, bananas, cotton, cocoa, tea and other agricultural enterprises.
The model places particular emphasis on increasing production, value addition and market access, meaning fertiliser distribution is expected to complement rather than replace other interventions such as extension services, access to finance, improved planting materials, storage and marketing.
Government reported in June that PDM had reached more than four million beneficiaries, with Shs4.4 trillion transferred to parishes as revolving capital over the preceding five years.
Delivery will determine impact
The fertiliser initiative could help address one of the structural constraints facing Ugandan farmers, but its impact will ultimately depend on how the programme is implemented.
For farmers, access to fertiliser at the right time is as important as the price. Delays can undermine the value of the intervention, while poor targeting could divert inputs away from the farmers and crops that need them most.
The government’s own PDM framework recognises the need for science-led input distribution to address longstanding problems such as poor-quality inputs, untimely delivery and inappropriate agricultural practices.
Agricultural experts have also cautioned that increased fertiliser use needs to be guided by soil conditions and correct application. Poor application can contribute to nutrient imbalances and soil problems rather than delivering the expected productivity gains.
As MAAIF prepares the detailed rollout, farmers will therefore be watching for clarity on which crops will qualify, who will receive the fertiliser, how beneficiaries will be selected, when distribution will begin and how government will prevent counterfeit or substandard products from entering the programme.
The answers to those questions will determine whether Cabinet’s fertiliser decision becomes a meaningful productivity intervention or another agricultural input programme constrained by the delivery challenges that have affected farmers in the past.
