Local Government Minister Justine Nameere Nseebula says staffing and funding gaps are limiting agricultural extension services and affecting the implementation of the Parish Development Model.
Minister of State for Local Government Justine Nameere Nseebula has called for stronger staffing, supervision and accountability in agricultural extension services to improve agricultural productivity and ensure government programmes reach farmers.
Nameere made the call during a two-day high-level meeting convened by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries to discuss strategies for transforming Uganda’s agricultural sector.
The meeting brought together political and technical leaders from local governments, including LCV chairpersons, city and municipal mayors, chief administrative officers (CAOs), town clerks, resident district commissioners (RDCs) and resident city commissioners (RCCs).
Representing the Ministry of Local Government, Nameere delivered a statement on “Effective Delivery of Delegated Functions to Local Governments,” in which she highlighted challenges affecting agricultural extension services.
She said the extension worker-to-farmer ratio stands at about one worker for every 1,800 farmers, against the recommended ratio of one to 500.
Nameere also said more than 50% of farmers have never seen an extension worker, a gap she said is significantly affecting the implementation of the Parish Development Model (PDM).
Government targets service delivery gaps
Nameere said addressing the challenge requires increased staffing and retooling of extension workers, alongside stronger supervision and accountability at the local government level.
She identified adoption of the 4-Acre Model, stronger accountability through Local Government Performance Assessments, organising farmers into cooperatives and improving rural infrastructure among the measures needed to strengthen agricultural service delivery.
She said the Ministry of Local Government would take a stronger supervisory role to ensure extension workers deliver the services expected of them.
“We will push, supervise and hold everyone accountable until services reach the people they are meant to serve,” Nameere said.
The meeting comes as the government seeks to strengthen agricultural productivity and improve the delivery of programmes targeting farmers and rural households through local government structures.
