Department of Agricultural Investment and Enterprise Development

Directorate of Agricultural Extension

Department of Agricultural Investment and Enterprise Development

Overall Objective

The Department of Agricultural Investment and Enterprise Development has the overall objective of supporting Sustainable agribusiness development and management, public and private sector investments and emerging commercially viable agricultural enterprises for improved food security and enhanced household income.

Key Functions

  • Providing technical leadership in the review and implementation of policies, legislations, standards plans, designs and strategies and regulations for agriculture investments and enterprise development.
  • Providing technical advice on agricultural investment and enterprise development in the sector
  • Generating, analyzing and disseminating information on agricultural investments and enterprise development in the sector;
  • Building the capacity of the ministry (MAAIF), LGs and other stakeholders for development of agribusiness in the agriculture sector;
  • Establishing and operationalizing collaborative mechanisms with national regional and international organizations for agriculture investment and enterprise development;
  • Formulating, reviewing and implementing plans and strategies for commodity value chain analysis;
  • Identifying public sector investments needed to stimulate private sector investments;
  • Establishing commodity stakeholder platforms and frameworks to manage implementation of commodity value chain analysis/recommendations.

Supporting projects to the Department

  1. Establishment of Agro Processing and Marketing of Agricultural Products (APM) Project
  • The overall objective of the project is to develop a rural community based agro processing and marketing strategy for agricultural products in domestic, regional, and international markets for increased incomes and food security.
  • The achievements registered under the APM Project are culminating from activities that are supporting the pilot agro processing demonstration facilities set up for both maize and rice in Masindi and Jinja districts being operated by private processors namely; Agrovet farmers Ltd in Masindi and Upland rice millers Ltd in Jinja.
  • Developed the rice and maize Agro processing strategy ready for implementation
  • Mobilization and training of 12 farmer groups; 7 in the western region to supply agrovet millers Limited and 5 in the Eastern side to supply upland rice millers including youth and women. The mobilized groups were trained in sustainable market linkages, group dynamics, postharvest handling along the rice and maize value chains as to sustainably supply the agro processing pilot demonstration centers in Masindi and Jinja.
  • Development of graining Marketing model for the farmers produce and the processed products.
  1. Agro-Economic Impact Deepening in the Albertine Basin Project (AIDA)
  • The overall objective is to strengthen existing agriculture production, commercial practices and enhance the supply chain of agricultural goods and services to the oil and gas development interventions and developing market opportunities in the region and beyond. Therefore, the project covers the whole agriculture value chain including inputs, production, processing, collection and marketing of the products.
  • The project has developed the agricultural investment profile for the Albertine region to all the stakeholders interested in the investment in the agricultural sector in the region.
  • The project conducted the comprehensive needs assessment for the communities in the Albertine region.
  • Survey on producer opportunities and consumer demands for major commodities in Ntoroko, Kabarole and Kyenjojo districts completed.
  • A database of private sector actors and commercial farmers and organizations engaged in production, value addition and marketing of priority enterprises zoned for the Albertine basin including, poultry, maize, beans, dairy and beef developed.
  • implementing the Agriculture Development Programme in the Albertine Basin in the three districts of Nwoya, Hoima and Bulisa through partnership among the Ministry of agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development and Joint venture partners(JVP) (Tullow Uganda, CNOOC and Total EP).
  1. Agricultural Cluster Development Project (ACDP); COMPONENT 2: Market linkages, Post-Harvest Handling, Storage and Value addition
    This component intends to support activities and investments to improve marketing and post-harvest handling of farm produce at Rural Producer Organisations (RPOs) and Area-based Commodity Cooperative Enterprises (ACCE) levels.
    It will further foster market linkages through productive alliances and support measures to eliminate bottlenecks and trouble spots in rural access roads, critical for the movement of farm produce to market.

The component has three subcomponents:

Sub Component 2.1;

This sub component will address the ‘software’ elements of institutional development and capacity building for improved market linkages, including the formation and strengthening of farmer organizations (Rural Producer Organisations, Area-based Commodity Cooperative Enterprises (ACCEs).

  • Hold engagement meetings to link Value Chain Stakeholders
  • Developed ToR for capacity building in Institutional development and Agribusiness;
  • Strengthening and capacity building support will be provided to farmer organisations to enhance their abilities to manage business enterprises effectively, to scale up their operations and improve profitability

Sub-component 2.2

  • This sub component will support ‘hardware’ infrastructure investments for post-harvest and market infrastructure, ware houses, primary storages, processing and value addition, through matching grants, direct financing and productive alliances.
  • Developed ToR for matching grants managers
  • Developed matching grants manuals
  • Trained DLG in preparing Business plans.

Sub-component 2.3: Farm Access Roads and Choke Points at Community Level

The objective is to provide support to each cluster to make improvements in existing farm access roads, while focusing on eliminating key choke points that regularly impede the inflow and outflow of agricultural inputs and commodities to farmers and markets, respectively

  • Identification and mapping of high production and marketing areas was concluded in all the 42 project districts and road chokes in the 13 districts.
  • Cluster Multi Stakeholder Platforms (CMSPs) were trained on the guidelines for selection of farm access road chokes, field appraisals of roads selected by the District Coordination Teams (DCTs) undertaken and prioritization of roads concluded. Up to 253 km, covering 110 farm road chokes were selected for rehabilitation in the five pilot districts, these include: Kalungu (38km), Ntungamo (43km), Iganga (48km), Amuru (64km) and Nebbi (60km). The field data collections and subsequent designs for roads in 5 pilot districts is ongoing, and will be completed by April 30, 2019.
  • Identified and prioritized roads with chokes based on high production maps in the 13 rollout districts, approve road chokes prioritized in the 5 pilot clusters, undertake environmental social screening of candidate project sites in the 5 pilot districts, undertake a refresher training for districts in preparation for detailed field data collection, assessment and design, undertake detailed field data collection, assessment and design for the selected sites in the 18 districts of the pilot clusters, submit draft bid documents for works in the 5 pilot districts for World Bank approval and facilitate 2 Engineers to participate in Continuous Professional Development (CPD) trainings.
  1. Farm Income and Forestry Conservation Project (FIEFOC-2); Agribusiness Component
  • The Farm Income Enhancement and Forest Conservation Project 2 (FIEFOC-2) is designed within the context of the Government of Uganda’s National Development Plan (NDP2) and the long-term development strategy, the Vision 2040 both of which promote agricultural infrastructure and income enhancement. The project seeks to consolidate and expand the notable achievements of the first phase of Farm Income Enhancement and Forest Conservation project that was completed in December 2012.
  • The overall objective of the FIEFOC-2 is to improve farm incomes, rural livelihoods, food security and climate resilience, through sustainable natural resources management and agricultural enterprise development. The project implementation period is from 1st July 2016 to 30th June 2021 and 31st December 2021 for ADB and NDF respectively. The Project’s Executing Agency is the Ministry of Water and Environment (MoWE) with the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) as a key implementing partner of the Project’s activities that fall within her technical and policy mandate.
  • The project consists of four components namely: (i) Agriculture Infrastructure Development; (ii) Agribusiness Development; (iii) Integrated Natural Resources Management; and (iv) Project Management

Youth engagement in Agricultural value chains

Objective: The overall objective of the project is to empower and equip the youth with technical skills and resources to engage in agricultural activities along the value chain to enhance their socio economic potential.

  • The department developed the National Strategy for Youth Employment in Agriculture value chains as the decent method of employment for the growing population of the youth in the country through; It has 5 thematic areas: Ensuring an enabling environment for youth employment in agriculture, Support youth oriented agricultural extension, Improving youth education and learning, Support Youth enterprise and entrepreneurship, Adaptation to and mitigation of agribusiness risk and uncertainties.
  • Implementation of the strategy: Youth Champions selected and trained in Agribusiness. The trained youth are now inspiring other youth in Agriculture value chains.
  • Prepared two project proposals to support youth in agriculture value chains.
  1. Food Processing Technology transfer Project at National Agricultural Research Laboratories Kawanda.
    Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries in partnership with Korea Rural Community Corporation KRC is implementing Food Processing Technology Transfer Project at National Research Laboratories (NARL) Kawanda. The project is into food processing of maize, rice and soy bean into instant food products.

The objectives of the project are;

  • To contribute to the development of the grain value chain and disseminating grain processing technologies.
  • To promote an incubation center that supports food research, capacity building and production of processed foods.

Key Achievements of the Project

  • Mobilized and selected Soy bean Farmer groups in Oyam and Lira
  • Capacity building of farmer groups in Oyam, Lira, Masindi and Jinja in post-harvest handling.
  • Trained Food Processing Incubatees
  • Procured office equipment for MAAIF and NARL Kawanda
  • Project is going to install complete food processing equipment and a bakery equipment in kawanda in June.
  • Project invited Ministry Staff and Kawanda Staff to attend high level training in Korea.

THE AGRICULTURAL INVESTMENT UNIT

The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) established an Agricultural Investment Unit (AIU) under the Department of Agricultural Investment and Enterprise Development (DAIED). The Agricultural Investment Unit was established on 1st July 2018

Overall Objectives of the Unit

"To assist in coordinating and promoting agribusiness, with emphasis on value addition and act as an initiative to link and create synergies between MAAIF (Public Policy/Regulation), the Private Sector and Development Partners on issues of promoting agribusiness and value addition."

Key functions

  • Coordinating and promoting agribusiness value addition initiatives between MAAIF, the Private Sector and Development Partners.
  • Creating awareness about agricultural credit facilities available to the Private Sector.
  • Assisting SMEs and farmers in formulating project proposals to access agricultural credit facilities.
  • Assisting SMEs and farmers throughout the processes of accessing agricultural credit facilities and following up on successful applicants
  • Updating and keeping inventory of all agribusiness enterprises in the country, including projects implemented by other Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Private Sector and Development Partners.
  • Providing technical support to all MAAIF, Private Sector and Development Partners projects with value addition initiatives
  • Undertaking strategic studies on value addition of key commodities. Undertaking periodic reviews (at least quarterly) and assessment of identified agribusiness (value addition) enterprises by MAAIF, the Private Sector and Development Partners; and reporting to MAAIF management accordingly.