The document discusses the challenges and opportunities of soil fertility management in Uganda. It outlines that soil is essential for food security, poverty reduction, and environmental management but has received limited attention in Uganda. Key challenges include lack of awareness, funding, and farmer knowledge as well as soil loss, nutrient depletion, and lack of fertilizer access. However, opportunities exist in growing government and policy support for soil issues, existing soil testing infrastructure and experts, and new initiatives in agro-industrialization, fertilizer production, and extension services that could boost soil fertility management if supported by building capacity and finalizing a national soil policy and strategy.

1. MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, ANIMAL INDUSTRY AND FISHERIES
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF
SOIL FERTILITY MANAGEMENT IN
UGANDA
Presented at the Inception Workshop for the Capacity Development on
Sustainable Soil Management for Africa- Uganda Project.
Alex Lwakuba.
27TH JANUARY 2021
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2. Presentation Outline
• Introduction
• Importance of Soil
• Challenges of Soil Management in Uganda
• Opportunities of Soil Fertility Management in Uganda.
• Conclusion
• Way forward.
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3. Introduction
Soil is an essential factor in Food Security and Poverty
Reduction.
Soil is vital in environmental management.
Soil management is crucial in achieving SDGs.
Unfortunately, Soil fertility management has had limited
attention and prioritization in Uganda.
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4. Importance of soil
Soil supports agricultural production.
Soil moderates the environment.
Soil is a constituent of construction materials.
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5. Challenges of Soil Fertility Management
in Uganda
Lack of awareness, low prioritization and funding.
Lack of knowledge among farmers esp. in SFM and INM.
Uncoordinated Soil knowledge Management and messages
(complacency that soil in Uganda is fertile).
Cost of Soil loss est. at USD 400.0M each year due to
erosion with inadequate control measures.
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6. Challenges cont’d
Continuous cultivation with no or minimum use of fertilizers leading to nutrient
loss and mining.
Unavailability, inaccessibility and unaffordability of appropriate fertilizers in the
right formulations.
Lack of requisite capacity and infrastructure – only one lab in Uganda with
obsolete equipment ; the second one at Serere lacks reagents and manpower.
Lack of a specific institution (one stop center) to coordinate all soil issues in
Uganda – soil challenges are handled in isolation albeit with disharmonized
approaches; NARO; MAAIF; NEMA; MUK; NGOs.
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7. Challenges cont’d
Non harmonized soil Research.
Limited Research. Focus is on a few aspects
neglecting others like below ground biodiversity.
Lack of a specific policy and Regulations to guide
soil management interventions.
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8. OPPORTUNITIES
Political & Policy level recognition of soil, its
importance and challenges. H.E The President himself
observed poor yields in Eastern Uganda and directed
us to intervene. Hon. MoSA supports soil policy dev’t.
SLM (including soil) is recognized in National
Development Plans; NDP II & III; ASSP 1,2,3, NAP
2013 ; Fertilizer Policy 2016 and NOAP 2019.
Existence of National Soil Lab. at Kawanda; Soil
Testing Facilities at MUK and Serere with some basic
infrastructure and Trained Personnel.
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9. Opportunities cont’d
Existence of Platforms for Soil Experts in Uganda
(SSEA; SSSU; Soil Health Consortium).
Existence of Tertiary Institutions of Learning
(Universities with Soil programs – MUK, UMU;BU).
Renewed interest to finalize the Soil policy.
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10. Opportunities Con’t
Growing interest to pattern with FAO to establish a
Uganda Soil Institute (USI) at Busitema University-BU.
Agro-industrialization (AGI) and commercialization drives
will call for increased production and productivity, thus.
demand for increased fertilization of land.
The Tororo-Sukuru Fertilizer factory; the Grain Impulse
Fertilizer Formulation Plant at Mukono will address
fertilizer availability.
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11. Opportunities Con’t
Exploration of oil & gas in Uganda will help to
address local manufacturing of fertilizers.
Re-established Agricultural Extension Directorate
will be useful in enhancing fertilizer knowledge
management in Uganda.
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12. CONCLUSION
Only thru strengthening SFM can we
realise increased production and
Productivity, Commercialisation of
Agriculture and Improved Livelihoods-The
NDPIII /AGI aspirations.
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13. WAY FORWARD
Need to build both human and Infrastructure
Capacity at all levels.
Infrastructure at Serere, Supervised by Kawanda (a
GLOSOLAN – Member) should be focused on. Serere
has a modern equipment but redundant; it is near
Busitema, proposed to host USI and a good pilot for
regionalizing Soil Testing services in Uganda. Will
serve the most affected region in soil fertility.
Need to FastTrack USI establishment & Soil Policy
Development.
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14. Appreciation
• UNFAO
• Chinese Academy of sciences
• For the Soil fertility Management Project in Uganda.
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THANK YOU
FOR GOD AND MY COUNTRY