Taking Action for the World’s Poor and Hungry People Beijing, China October 17-19,2007 How to Foster Organizations for and with Small-scale Farmers By Prof. John Joseph Otim (PhD) President Agricultural Council of Uganda and Senior Advisor to H.E President Museveni, Uganda

Benefits of being organized Sustainability Influence policies/laws that affect them. Strong motivation for participation and cooperation Flexibility and bargaining strength. Empower to form strategic Alliance with supply chains e.g. Supermarkets. Get fair share of market prices in value chain system. Engage in bulk marketing of produce and inputs purchase. Undertake contract farming/out growers schemes. Provide foundation for sound democratic governance.

Types of Small-Scale Farmers 1.Poorest of the Poor Subsistence Farmers Production goals: (i) meeting survival needs and (ii) provision of social safety net. 2.Economically Active Low-income Farmers Production goals: (i) meeting domestic food needs, (ii) social safety net and (iii) sale of surplus to raise income (iv) diversification of investments

Uganda Experience: Agricultural Sector Programme Support (ASPS) Phase I: Empowering the Poorest of the Poor using voucher / cash for work / village savings. Mobilisation of sensitised small-scale subsistence small-scale farmers to form groups. Phase II: Fostering the Economically Active Low-income Farmers Organisations (FOs): (i)Building technical skills and capacity for good governance. (ii)Agribusiness Development for Profitability, Sustainability, Lobbying and Negotiations.

Business Support Services (BSS) to FOs Hand on training in agronomic and livestock management best practices, demonstrations and general advisory services. Training in agribusiness: business management skills, record keeping, enterprise selection, profitability analysis. Access to farm inputs. Mobilising members for group marketing, providing market information and linking farmers to markets. Encouraging farmers to save own money and borrow from own savings under Village Savings Scheme. Sensitising on HIV/AIDS Malaria and Gender issues. Sensitising on Environment Management.

Partnerships among Service Providers Objective: (i) Create synergy for success, (ii) Increase productivity, (iii) Increase share of marketed production (surplus) Public: FOs, NAADS, Local Government NGOs: Africa 2000 Network, Care, Sasakawa Global 2000, World Vision. Private: Mukwano Enterprises, PRIDE (Micro-Finance) FOs: Farmers organisation

Impact assessment Changes in skills and technology adoption. Changes in profitability and income levels Changes in financial and institutional capacity of FOs. Changes in access to socio-economic amenities. Changes in gender, social-network, and diversification.

Table 1:Availability and use of agric. resources Agricultural resource% reporting available % reporting use of input Improved seeds Improved breeds Organic manure Fertilisers Pesticides Herbicides Agro-processing facility Hand hoes Ox-ploughs Water for livestock

Figure 1: Adoption of agricultural technologies and skills

Figure 2: Changes in farmers’ agricultural production, sales, profitability and income

Table 2:Farmers’ responses on ease of accessing socio-economic amenities AmenityEase of access Percentage of farmers reporting Before supportAfter support LandEasy Difficult Good clothingEasy Difficult Improved housingEasy Difficult Health facilitiesEasy Difficult Clean drinking waterEasy Difficult Transport servicesEasy Difficult Credit facilitiesEasy Difficult

Table 3:Financial Capacity of FOs to deliver BSS (sustainability) as Service Providers District Soroti Mukono Apac Tororona Lira Kisoro Mbararana Iganga Bushenyi Masindi

Gender and Diversification of Investments Initiation of other income generating activities using incomes saved (80.8%) Reported improvement in gender involvement in production activities (80.4%) Improved social networking among farmers (76.4%) Improved appreciation of farmers groups (77.7%).

Critical Success Factors Political will and commitment by Governments. Favourable Policy Environment. Adequate infrastructures. Coordination Mechanisms for Strategic Alliance Institutional innovations Support from international community. Public-Private Partnership including with CSOs and FOs Adopt Participatory Approach.

Challenges still faced by Small-scale FOs Limited facilitation to mobilise and reach member farmers. Low savings culture and lack of capital. Failure to pay membership fees. High input prices. Farmers’ attitude towards group work and marketing. Distorted farmers’ expectations due to handouts by some NGOs and government. Rivalry among Service Providers. Absence of efficient coordination mechanisms. Lack of marketing infrastructures. High dependency on donor funding. Inadequate interventions by governments. Inability of FOs to lobby governments.

Community Road Constructed using voucher / cash for work model

Thank you!