Government’s LEGS programme accelerates agricultural mechanisation  in Western Uganda

Farmers in western Uganda say a government-backed programme is transforming agriculture by introducing modern machinery that is improving productivity and reducing the cost of cultivation.

The initiative is being implemented through the Microfinance Support Centre (MSC) under the Local Economic Growth Support (LEGS) programme. 

The project, run in partnership with the Islamic Development Bank and the Ministry of Local Government, aims to expand access to affordable financial services and equipment for rural communities.

Through the programme, savings and credit cooperative organisations (Saccos) and farmer groups have been supported to acquire heavy-duty agricultural machinery, which they then hire out to members at subsidised rates.

The initiative is being touted to move smallholder farmers away from labour-intensive manual farming and towards mechanised agriculture that can increase productivity and incomes.

One of the beneficiaries is Kijura Sacco in Kabarole District. The Sacco’s general manager, Gerald Nyiramahoro says the group received a tractor in January 2024 with funding support from MSC. 

The tractor, purchased at Shs145 million, was financed 60 per cent by the programme while the Sacco contributed the remaining 40 per cent.

Nyiramahoro says the tractor has greatly improved farm productivity among members.

“Before we got the tractor, our farmers had very little knowledge about mechanisation and most relied on manual labour. Production was very low, but now output has increased and the Sacco’s savings portfolio has grown,” he said.

Demand for the tractor has grown beyond the Sacco’s membership, with farmers from Bunyangabu and Kasese District also seeking the service.

Previously, the manager says, private tractor owners charged up to Shs250,000 per acre, but the Sacco now provides the service for about Shs100,000 depending on the terrain. 

The increased access has also boosted membership, which rose by more than 2,400 last year to over 10,000 members.

Local farmers say the introduction of mechanised farming has dramatically changed their operations.

Robert Abigaba, a member of Kijura Sacco, says using the tractor reduced the time and cost required to prepare farmland.

“Hand tilling an acre used to take four days and required hiring up to 30 workers. Now a tractor can plough up to 15 acres in a single day.”

Abigaba said he used to cultivate only nine acres because of the limitations of manual labour. With mechanisation, he now farms 16 acres.

Crop yields have also improved. Previously, farmers harvested about five to seven bags of maize per acre, but with improved land preparation and timely planting, yields have risen to around ten bags per acre.

The programme is also creating employment opportunities within rural communities.

Rashid Mwesigwa, the tractor driver at Kijura Sacco, says the job has allowed him to stabilise his income and improve his livelihood.

Mwesigwa previously worked in road construction operating a grader but found the constant travel difficult. Since taking up the tractor driving job, he says he has cleared his debts and started building a home.

“We are getting a lot of work, especially during the planting season,” he said, adding that demand is so high that the Sacco will likely require another tractor.

In addition to farm machinery, the programme is also helping farmer cooperatives improve transportation and market access.

Nyakatoma Maize Farmers Cooperative in Kyenjojo received a Howo 4x2 light-duty dump truck to help transport maize from farms to milling facilities and markets.

According to the cooperative’s chairman, Bernerd Owoyesigire, MSC provided Shs56 million towards the truck’s purchase, while members topped up to acquire it at a cost of Shs152 million.

The truck now transports maize and processed flour to markets in Kampala, Kamwenge District, Ibanda District, Kasese District, Kabarole District and Mbarara.

Owoyesigire says the cooperative earns about Shs2.7 million in monthly profits from the truck, while members can hire it to transport produce to distant markets.

MSC communications manager Tadeo Atuhura says providing machinery reduces production costs and helps farmers plant on time, which ultimately increases yields.

“A group like this is lending out the tractor to non-members so that they can be attracted to join the Sacco. This in turn leads to an increase in savings and members get cheaper capital,” he said.

“Secondly, the tractor is very helpful in timing the season. Cultivating using hand hoes takes much longer and if you do not calculate properly you may miss the planting season, and your yield will be low.”

According MSC’s regional manager for western Uganda, Williams Okweda, the LEGS project manages a $10 million rural microfinance fund supporting communities across 17 districts.

He says even small funding packages can help savings groups expand membership, strengthen loan portfolios and invest in productive equipment, ensuring that rural communities are not left behind in Uganda’s agricultural transformation.