NAADS drops free seedling distribution, moves to support nuclear farmers

By Ben Musanje

20^th Jan 2023

The National Agricultural Advisory Services –NAADS has embarked on the new model of building a sustainable agricultural production in the country by shifting from free seedling distribution to co-funding nuclear farmers.

This comes after the Government last year through the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries entered a memorandum of understanding with about seven nucleus farmers across the country for three years to scale up production of Macadamia and Hass Avocado.

While speaking at the media breakfast meeting in Kampala, the NAADS Executive Director Dr. Mugasi says that they are now considering co-funding 70 percent on high value crop seedlings of Macadamia and Hass Avocado and this will fully be implemented in the forthcoming planting season for agricultural production sustainability.

Dr. Mugasi says that this campaign of planting Hass and Macadamia Avocado seedlings has started in the areas of Rwenzori, Buganda and Eastern regions and later will be extended to other places.

He says majority of the farmers distributed with free seedlings have failed to produce according to the expectations which has failed the agricultural programme.

The nucleus farmers’ sell each seedling at Shs2,500 from the nursery beds while the government pays a balance of Shs7,500.

Records from NAADS show that 100,000 seedlings of Hass Avocado were given to 2,000 farmers in 31 districts last year and 30,000 seedlings of macadamia were given out to 800 farmers in 11 districts.