Tractors
The Pilot Phase(40 Tractors)
The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) through NAADS Secretariat embarked on a program for improving the productivity of the dairy enterprise through a strategic intervention for pasture improvement.
The pilot phase of the pasture improvement initiative was implemented in selected districts in the South Western region of Uganda including Kiruhura, Mbarara, Isingiro, Ntungamo, Sembabule, Lyantonde, Ibanda and Sheema.
The initiative was aimed at increasing milk production to meet the increasing demand of Milk and milk products locally and internationally. The target entailed raising farm productivity ten-fold from the currently average of 1 liter of milk per acre per day to 10 liters per acre per day, and animal productivity from 5 liters per day to 20 liters per day, by revolutionizing cattle feeding through farm mechanization.
As part of the pasture improvement initiative, MAAIF/NAADS availed 40 tractors and implements to support dairy farmers in the region for the opening of the land for improved pastures.
The pasture improvement initiative was formally launched by His Excellency, The President of the Republic of Uganda on 10th March 2017 at the Mbarara Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute.
The forty tractors were accessed through a cluster arrangement that targeted over 600 dairy farmers in the region.
The Rollout Phase (280)
In a bid to mechanize agriculture for improved production and productivity, in the Financial Year 2018/19, the Government of Uganda through NAADS under the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), procured 280 tractors and implements to be availed to farming communities across the country under the MAAIF strategy for promotion of agricultural mechanization (Agriculture Sector Strategic Plan 2015).
The 280 are in addition to the first batch of 40 tractors that the Government piloted in Western Uganda for pasture multiplication in 2017, bringing the total number of tractors procure by Government to 320.
Selection of Beneficiaries
Following the Operational guidelines for tractor access and management developed by NAADS in collaboration with MAAIF, 66 Nucleus farmers, 209 Farmer organizations and 2 District Local Governments were allocated tractors out of the 641 applications received from 117 District Local Governments.
The Operational Guidelines for tractors provide four models of tractor management; Nucleus Farmer, Contracted, Government owned and operated and the Farmers organisation model.
Training Tractor Operators
In order to ensure sustainable utilisation of the tractors, NAADS trained 560 tractor operators (two operators per tractor) before the tractors were handed over to the beneficiaries.
The training was conducted in 16 sessions at 8 stations. The training stations are; Nabuin (Napak), Abi (Arua), Ngetta (Lira), Bulindi (Hoima), Mukono (Mukono), Ikulwe ZARDIs and Kyera Agricultural Training Institute, Mbarara District.
ACCESS AND MANAGEMENT OF TRACTORS PROVIDED
The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) identified promotion of agricultural mechanization as a strategic intervention area towards improving productivity and profitability of strategic commodity value chains. In order to ensure effective and sustainable utilization of the tractors and implements to farming communities across the country, there is need for operational guidelines. Accordingly, operational guidelines for equitable access and effective management of tractors provided by the Government have been developed.
Guiding Principles
- Commodity Value Chain Approach
- Ownership & Stewardship
- Demand driven
- Beneficiary Co-investment
- Equity and social inclusion
- Capacity Building
- Existing and active Farmer
Criteria for Selection of Beneficiaries
- Existing and active Farmer Organizations (FOs).
- Farmer groups (associations or cooperatives) whose registration is at- least up to district level.
- Total combined acreage available for production by the benefiting farmer organization should not be less than 50 acres.
- Proof/ evidence that the group have been in operations and guided by the laws that govern the operations of such associations/groups (e.g. cooperative society by-laws).
- The FO/group should have a minimum of 20 members.
- A truck record of proper leadership structure and management of group assets and finances.
- The group should avail a competitive bankable business/tractor hire service plan.
- Commitment to use only qualified, certified and licensed tractor operators/ technicians
Operation and Maintenance of Tractors
- The beneficiaries will be fully responsible for the operations, maintenance and repairs (both minor and major) of the tractor and implements
- The tractor management committee shall come up with terms of reference for deployment and payment for the services.
- The beneficiary, acting through a tractor management committee, shall be responsible for the safe keeping the tractor and its implements.
- The tractor operator should carryout daily routine checks, inspection and cleaning of the whole tractor and its implements and inform the tractor management committee on the need for routine fueling, oils, and repairs where necessary.
- Routine maintenance and service should be done as per the manufacturer’s recommended schedule and manuals.
- All forms of service and repairs shall be carried out by qualified and approved personnel or agents/dealers.
- Replacement parts should be acquired from authorized dealers.
- For the period under warrantee, the suppliers or agents of suppliers of tractors will carry out the routine tractor service depending on the terms of the contract for the particular supply lot(s).
- The equipment supplier/dealer will provide after sales networks to support all supplied equipment in a timely, efficient and cost effective manner.