It is reported that President Museveni
has resolved that NAADS should cease to exist given that a lot of funds have
been lost under NAADS undertaking. If
this is so, what will happen to ATAAS?
Below is a description of Agricultural
Technology and Agribusiness Advisory Services (ATAAS):
Agricultural Technology and
Agribusiness Advisory Services (ATAAS) a 5 – year agricultural project
undertaking started in December 2011. It
is a $665m undertaking set to benefit farmers of Uganda. ATAAS is funded by the Government of Uganda
together with Development Partners. The
total project cost including contingencies is US $ 665.5m, of which Government
of Uganda is committed to provide US $ 497.3 m; with the rest provided as a
loan arrangement, including IDA US $ 120.00m, IFAD US $ 14.00m, EU US $ 20.00m, DANIDA $ 7.00m
and GEF US $ 7.2m.
The ATAAS
project is fully aligned with the Development Strategy and Investment Plan
(DSIP) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries
(MAAIF). Its strategic focus is
consistent with the National Development Plan (NDP) and DSIP objectives of
agricultural growth, commercialization and poverty reduction. The DSIP provides a ‘roadmap’ to guide
government, the private sector, farmers’ organizations and Development Partners
to make public interventions that will help meet the key objectives of growth,
food security and poverty reduction in the agricultural sector.
The DSIP
focuses on two Development Objectives namely: Rural incomes and livelihoods
increased; and Household food and nutrition security improved. Its immediate Objectives are: Factor
productivity (land, labour, capital) in crops, livestock, and fisheries
sustainably enhanced; Markets for primary and secondary agricultural products
within Uganda, the region and beyond developed and sustained; Favourable legal,
policy and institutional frameworks that facilitate private sector expansion
and increased profitability along the entire value chain developed; and MAAIF
and Agencies functioning as modern, client – oriented organizations within an
innovative, accountable, supportive environment.
ATAAS will enhance
agricultural productivity, diversification and value addition, and promote
public - private partnerships (PPPs) in service delivery and agri-business
development. The project will also
promote Sustainable Land Management (SLM) practices, strengthen the
institutional capacity of NARO, NAADS, and MAAIF, modernize information
technology at NARO and NAADS, and employ new information and communication
technology (ICT) tools.
Agricultural Technology and Agribusiness Advisory
Services Project (ATAAS)’s
objective is to increase the agricultural productivity and incomes of
participating households by improving the performance of agricultural research and
advisory services, while enhancing environmental sustainability and resilience
to climate risks and land degradation. Formulation
of the project has been informed by lessons learnt from implementation of the
second Agricultural Research and Training Project (ARTP II) as well as the
first phase of the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS Phase
1). It seeks to address the weak linkage
between the different actors involved in agricultural research and development
in Uganda.
The project puts special
emphasis on the need for stronger institutional linkages between technology
generation, dissemination, adoption and markets as well as sustainable
management of land and other natural resources.
It has been developed within a broad framework of an Agricultural
Innovation System (AIS) that among others, embraces the value chain
approach. Its
project goals and objectives are incorporated in the project design that has
five components which are: Developing Agricultural Technologies and
Strengthening the National Agricultural Research System; with the objectives of
component being to develop agricultural technologies through research, and to
strengthen agricultural research institutions, the second component is
Enhancing partnerships between agricultural research, advisory services, and
other stakeholders; with the objectives being to enhance the efficiency and
effectiveness of technology development and dissemination by supporting closer
linkages between National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), National
Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), and other stakeholders, the third
component is Strengthening the National Agricultural Advisory Services NAADS)
with the objectives being to support Improved Delivery of Demand - Driven and
Market - Oriented Advisory Services to farmers to promote their progression
from subsistence to market-orientation, Component four is Supporting
Agribusiness Services and market linkages; the objective being to promote
integration of smallholders in value chains by supporting collaboration between
agribusiness, farmers, advisers, and researchers to create viable, sustainable
market and agribusiness linkages and the fifth component being Program
Management; whose objective is to support the NARO and NAADS Secretariat’s to ensure:
Efficient execution of administrative, financial management, and procurement
functions; Coordination of project activities among various stakeholders;
Implementation of safeguard measures mandated by the Government of Uganda and
International Development Association (IDA); and an effective use of the joint
monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and Information and Communications
Technology (ICT) systems established under component two.
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