Amolatar district has registered 163 farmer groups to benefit from a marketing grant under the Uganda Climate Smart Agricultural Transformation Project (UCSATP).
The project is jointly funded by the World Bank and the government to promote productivity, market access and climate-resilient agricultural value chains.
The announcement was made during a district and lower local government committee meeting held on May 9, 2025, at the education hall.
The meeting’s aim was to prepare for the sensitization of selected groups, establish a team to oversee field activities, assess project progress, and develop a unified awareness strategy across various agricultural sectors, including crops, livestock, fisheries, and beneficial insects.
Okello Samuel Dulson, the UCSATP focal point person for Amolatar, explained that farmers will contribute 20 percent of the project’s funding, while the government covers the remaining 80 percent.
The initiative targets key agricultural value chains such as beef and dairy livestock, capture and aquaculture fisheries, and a variety of crops including coffee, cocoa, mangoes, citrus, hass avocado, cashew nuts, cassava, soybeans; sorghum, and maize.
It also supports the rearing of beneficial insects like bees and black soldier flies.
All 16 sub-counties in the district are included in the project, with each group tailored to specific commodities. Thirty groups will engage in beef cattle farming, distributed among Acii, Nalubwoyo, Muntu, Awelo, and Namasale town council.
Mango farming will involve 50 groups, drawn from Agwingiri, Muntu, Arwotcek, Akwon, and Namasale town council.
Twenty groups across 10 sub-counties, including Aputi, Etam town council, and Namasale sub-county, will focus on soybeans.
Citrus farming is allocated to 50 groups in sub-counties such as Awelo and Aputi. The fishery sector includes 12 groups based in Namasale sub-county and Namasale town council.
Insect farming will engage 10 groups working with black soldier flies and 45 bee-farming groups representing all sub-counties.
The UCSATP also encompasses infrastructure development to support agricultural productivity.
Four roads: Acii-Mucora (6.5 km), Atomoro-Anamido (5 km), Corner Agoga to Agoga (7 km), and Orimai to Epyel (3 km) have been earmarked for improvement.
Additionally, selected dams will be constructed across the district to enhance water availability for farming.
Deizy Eka who represented the office of the Chief Administrative Officer at the meeting, affirmed that the project is designed to improve productivity, increase market access, and strengthen farmers’ resilience against climate shocks.
Sarah Tyan, the Assistant Resident District Commissioner, called on communities to embrace UCSATP and other government programs.
She highlighted that the main beneficiaries would be those who had effectively utilized the Parish Development Model (PDM), and stressed that the group selection process was based on data from the national census.
Tyan urged local leaders to guide farmers in making the most of this opportunity, emphasizing the importance of transparency and community involvement throughout the implementation process.
Amolatar is among 69 districts participating in UCSATP, part of Uganda’s broader strategy to modernize agriculture in response to climate change.
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