Uganda’s agriculture sector recently introduced the information and technology program and for this matter, the World Bank stepped in to help.
The world Bank in a bid to financially boost Uganda’s ICT agriculture program, it, through the Export Import Bank of Korea announced a $150 million financial boost.
According to Joseph Oryokot, a senior agricultural specialist at the Uganda World Bank Country office, the funding will help the Ministry of Agriculture deploy ICT to become more effective and efficient. And such efficiency, will then be extended to farmers.
“The program will provide technical assistance to utilize ICT platforms and expand the scope of the ministry’s functionality, including sharing information,” said Mr Oryokot.
The ICT funding according to the sources will be channeled through the World Bank’s agricultural Cluster Development Program.
Joseph Oryokot in his further explanation, informed that in order to raise productivity, farmers require information on inputs, prices, pests and disease, weather patterns, better crop and animal management practices among others.
Sanghun Lee, an expert from the Korea Agency for Education, Promotion and Information Service said that the Ministry of Agriculture in Uganda could use the mobile phones penetration in the country as an avenue to inform and train farmers.
More than 20 million Ugandans, basing on the statistics from the Uganda Communication Commission, are connected to a mobile telecommunication network.
“It means that farmers can get information through their mobile phones. This could be simple texts messages,” explained Mr Lee.
A couple of experts from the Republic of Korea, were in Uganda from June 26- 30, making five days, spent in a visit to share their skills with Ugandan farmers on how to make the best use of ICT to develop Uganda’s agriculture sector.
Reporter: Shamilah Nammudu
