By KT Reporter
Maj. Gen. David Kasura Kyomukama, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, has urged smallholder farmers in Northern Uganda to adopt climate-smart farming to cope with changing weather patterns.
In a statement delivered by Consolata Acayo, the Assistant Commissioner in the Ministry, during the fourth edition of the Northern Uganda Agricultural Trade Show at Gulu University playground on Tuesday, Kyomukama warned that unless farmers shift from rudimentary practices to climate-resilient methods, unpredictable weather will continue to undermine crop production.
He said the Ministry is committed to promoting climate-smart technologies, providing subsidized irrigation facilities, and supporting innovations that boost productivity. Acayo encouraged farmers to diversify into cash crops such as coffee, which offer higher market value and can transform farming into a viable business.
With the growth of digital platforms, Acayo urged young people to use social media to market agricultural innovations. “I see many of our young people in TikTok abusing themselves every day but that space can market your innovations and products. You won’t only be earning livelihood from but transforming the economy of this country,” Acayo said.
The week-long exhibition, which opened Monday and runs until Saturday, August 23, 2025, has attracted at least 500 exhibitors and targets reaching 200,000 farmers with agricultural inputs. It will conclude with a dialogue on extension services, a persistent challenge in the region.
Despite an 8 percent reduction in post-harvest losses in Gulu District between 2023 and 2024 due to new technologies, crop losses in the field remain high at 32 percent, down from 40 percent in previous years. Smallholder farmers voiced concerns about poor access to agricultural extension services. Stella Angee, from Awach Sub-County in Gulu, said unpredictable weather makes farming decisions difficult.
“Sometimes we have a lot of rain, which destroys our crops, but again, you have droughts where crops can’t survive. You can’t understand which season is good for us,” Angee said. Another farmer, Patrick Kibwota, from the Lubanga-Ma-Miyo group, was seen moving from stall to stall in search of indigenous seeds.
The trade show’s chief architect, Grace Musimami, General Secretary of the Uganda Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services, said the exhibition is designed to bring services closer to farmers and allow peer learning. Meanwhile, exhibitors displayed a wide range of inputs, including seeds, seedlings, tractors, solar irrigation systems, and agro-processing machinery.
Gulu City Mayor Alfred Okwonga urged farmers to join cooperatives to improve market bargaining power and access new technologies such as tractors and irrigation facilities that are unaffordable to individuals.
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