Abstract:

The West Nile Farming System programme implementation started in 2001 with financial
support from World Bank and GoU. This work plan is a follow on one to consolidate the gains
so far achieved . It puts all the FSA/LA findings in the programme for the zone. As a
contribution towards the government's policy of poverty eradication, this plan aims to increase
the benefit derived from sustainable agricultural production by small-scale producers through
provision of superior improved technologies, knowledge and policy advise that will enhance
productivity, consequently leading into improved livelihood of rural people in Uganda. The
Government of Uganda outlined its strategic framework for national development and has
launched the Plan for the Modernisation of Agriculture (PMA), which provides the overall
policy context for public and private sector agricultural development efforts. Recent changes in
government policies, as expressed in the PMA, place emphasis on commercialisation,
privatisation, decentralisation and broader participation in the provision of agricultural services,
including research. While the PMA envisages acceleration in the rate of expansion of the
agricultural sector, priority attention is given to the critical contribution of agricultural
development to poverty eradication. In line with the PMA, a central focus of NARO's efforts is
to develop and disseminate technologies which will empower resource-poor farmers to make
more effective demands on the services and to participate in the provision of those services.