Stakeholders call for increased investment in smallholder irrigation schemes
The case for increased irrigation investment remains compelling, given that the vast majority of Uganda’s agriculture is still rain-fed
KAMPALA, June 24, 2026 — Stakeholders from Uganda’s agriculture, finance, public and private sectors have called on government and development partners to increase investment in and support for the adoption of irrigation schemes targeting smallholder farmers.
The call was made during the 14th Annual National Forum on Agriculture and Food Security, hosted recently by the Economic Policy Research Centre [EPRC] at Sheraton Kampala Hotel. The forum was held under the theme: Investing in Irrigation to Build a Climate-Resilient Smallholder Farmer in Uganda.
Speaking at the forum, EPRC Executive Director Sarah Ssewanyana said the deliberate use of the word “investing” reflected the need to view irrigation not as a peripheral expenditure but as a long-term commitment of public, private and household resources.
She noted that the returns on such investment should be measured in terms of resilience, productivity and improved livelihoods at the farm level.
The case for increased irrigation investment remains compelling, given that the vast majority of Uganda’s agriculture is still rain-fed.
Presenting findings from an EPRC assessment of small-scale irrigation in Uganda, Research Fellow Christine Arwata Alum said regions with limited irrigation coverage and frequent drought conditions also recorded higher levels of income poverty, underlining the strong connection between agricultural productivity and household incomes.
She observed that drought remains widespread, with nine out of every ten households in Northern Uganda reporting that they had experienced drought conditions.
Alum said the government’s and donors’ increasing focus on small-scale irrigation initiatives targeting individual farmers was a positive development, although implementation challenges remain.
Eng. Francis Waneloba, Assistant Commissioner for Water for Agricultural Production at the Ministry of Agriculture, said only three per cent of Uganda’s arable land is currently under irrigation.
“This means farmers are unable to fully utilise the fertile land available to them because production becomes difficult during dry seasons,” he said.
Opportunities for growth
According to Harriet Nattabi, Senior Water Resources Specialist at World Bank Uganda, sub-Saharan Africa possesses some of the world’s most underutilised water resources, and expanding irrigation could create more than 200 million jobs, averaging more than four jobs per irrigated hectare.
She added that even modest gains in agricultural productivity can significantly reduce poverty.
“A 10 per cent increase in agricultural productivity can reduce poverty by up to three per cent. Uganda is well positioned to benefit from this opportunity. The resource base exists; what has been missing is a clear pathway from potential to impact,” she said.
Nattabi commended efforts by different stakeholders to promote micro-scale irrigation programmes, noting that these initiatives have increased farmer awareness, provided training and leveraged government co-financing.
Participants at the forum also emphasised that irrigation investments must be complemented by other support services to deliver meaningful returns for farmers. Nattabi noted that irrigation without access to markets limits its impact.
Joseph Okee, from the Ministry of Agriculture’s Directorate of Extension, advised that small-scale irrigation programmes should prioritise sustained adoption of technologies by farmers rather than focusing solely on coverage figures.
The forum brought together stakeholders from government ministries, departments and agencies, development partners including the United Nations and its agencies, embassies and the private sector.
EPRC organises the annual forum to address critical issues affecting agricultural productivity and food security in Uganda.
According to the National Irrigation Policy, Uganda’s ratio of cultivated land under irrigation to its irrigation potential stands at only 0.5 per cent, compared with 3.6 per cent in Tanzania and 2.0 per cent in Kenya. The policy targets the development of 1.5 million hectares of irrigated land by 2040.
Related data show that an average of 800,000 hectares of crops are destroyed annually in Uganda by climate-related events. The 2008 drought alone caused crop losses estimated at US$ 47 million, while rainfall deficits between 2010 and 2013 resulted in agricultural sector damages and losses estimated at US$ 907 million.
In 2010, a study by the Office of the Prime Minister estimated that climate-related adverse effects had cost the economy Shs 2.8 trillion over the preceding decade. Sustained drought remains a major threat to agriculture, which provides a daily source of livelihood for more than 70 per cent of the population.
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