HOIMA, November 10, 2026 – Agricultural extension workers in the Bunyoro Sub-region have been urged to spend more time in the field supporting farmers with knowledge and guidance on good farming practices to improve agricultural productivity.
The State Minister for Bunyoro Affairs, Grace Mary Mugasa, said extension workers should move beyond office-based operations and actively engage farmers to help them address challenges affecting agricultural production.
She said agriculture employs between 68 and 70 percent of Ugandans, making it one of the country’s largest sources of employment and a sector that deserves greater investment and support.
Mugasa made the remarks while addressing Kikuube district stakeholders at the 2027/2028 budget conference held recently at Davila Hotel in Kikuube Town Council.
The minister said farmers frequently complain about the absence of extension workers in the field, despite facing challenges such as crop and livestock diseases and pests that undermine their productivity.
“While the farmers receive training before getting the Parish Development Model [PDM] money, there is still a need for continuous support and empowerment to ensure that the money they receive is invested in profitable ventures to serve the intended purpose of fighting poverty,” she said.
Mugasa challenged extension workers to demonstrate their commitment by providing practical support to farmers rather than spending most of their working hours in offices.
“Extension workers, stop sitting in your offices. They do not farm in offices; the farmers are in the field. If you studied agriculture, you should know that your workplace is the garden. You find extension workers in the office; what are you doing there? Are you a secretary? We increased your salaries, and you should also give us results,” she said.
The minister also cautioned district leaders against diverting public funds, urging them to ensure that budgets are implemented in line with their intended objectives of delivering services to local communities.
She called on technical staff and political leaders to intensify efforts to popularise government’s poverty eradication programmes, including the PDM and Emyooga Programme, to ensure that more people understand and benefit from them.
“Government is investing a lot of money in these programmes, but our people are not embracing them because the community does not know what to demand from us, the Government,” she said.
However, Kikuube District Senior Production Officer, Dr Barnabus Ntume, cited inadequate staffing in the production department as a major obstacle to effective agricultural extension services.
He said the department requires more than 40 agricultural extension workers but currently has only 16, leaving a significant staffing gap.
Ntume said the shortage makes it difficult for the available staff to reach and support farmers across the district, and called on government to intervene by recruiting more personnel.
Figures presented to stakeholders, including political and religious leaders and development partners, indicate that Kikuube district expects to spend Shs36.7 billion in the 2027/2028 financial year, down from Shs 40bln in 2026/2027.
Of the projected budget, Shs 21.1bln will be allocated to wage expenditure, Shs 10.9bln to non-wage expenditure and Shs 4.7bln to development expenditure.
The district also plans to allocate Shs 26.2bln to human capital development programmes.
District Planner Faustin Twesigye attributed the projected budget reduction to declining donor funding and the phasing out of the Uganda Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers Programme [UgIFT].
Buy your copy of thecooperator magazine from one of our country-wide vending points or an e-copy on emag.thecooperator.news
