Agriculture is the backbone of the Ugandan economy. In rural areas, agriculture is the source of livelihood for 70% of the people and on average it contributes over a third to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Agriculture is particularly important for women. Women provide 60-80% of agricultural labor and in many Ugandan societies have primary responsibility for growing the household’s food. They also take a large role in small-scale food processing and marketing.

As a country, agriculture is of great importance and requires key attention from policy makers. In my government, we intend to achieve the following as far as agriculture is concerned:

• Allocate at least 11% of the national budget to Agriculture, Water and Environment
• Establish an Agricultural Development Bank to finance farmers with affordable and handy credit services
• Increase investment in the mechanization of agriculture
• Create links between farmers and strategic markets, both local and international
• Ensure farmers have access to quality inputs and agricultural extension services
• Set up cooperatives right from grass root level to facilitate easy mobilization of farmers
• Invest in research and development in agriculture to enhance productivity and quality
• Promote value addition of agricultural produce by developing and supporting agro-processing initiatives