Government to start distribution of free fertilizers to farmers across Uganda

• Cabinet has approved the procurement and distribution of fertilisers to farmers across Uganda.

• The Agriculture ministry will announce the targeted crops, areas and beneficiaries.

• Agriculture contributed about 26 per cent of GDP in 2024/25, with coffee exports earning more than $2.2 billion.

• Low fertiliser use, limited irrigation, expensive credit, climate shocks and post-harvest losses remain major obstacles to agricultural productivity.

The government will start distributing fertilisers to farmers across Uganda in a new push to increase agricultural production and support households under the Parish Development Model.

ICT and National Guidance minister Justine Kasule Lumumba announced the decision on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, while briefing journalists about resolutions from Monday's cabinet

She said the Cabinet approved the procurement, supply and distribution of fertilisers through the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries.

“Through the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, the government will distribute fertilisers to farmers in different parts of the country. The intervention is intended to increase production, productivity of strategic crops and support beneficiaries under the Parish Development Model,” Lumumba said.

“The Ministry will work out the detailed implementation arrangement and communicate to the public, including information on the targeted crops, beneficiary areas and distribution process.”

She said the government wants the programme rolled out in time for farmers to benefit from rains that have started in several parts of the country.

The intervention comes as Uganda seeks to raise productivity in an agriculture sector that remains central to the economy but struggles with low use of modern farm inputs.

Agriculture contributed about 26.2 per cent of Uganda's gross domestic product in the 2024/25 financial year, according to the latest statistical abstract from the Agriculture ministry. The sector grew by 6.6 per cent during the same period.

Uganda produced about 4.27 million tonnes of maize and 771,000 tonnes of beans in 2024. Milk production reached 5.4 billion litres.

Coffee remains one of the country's strongest agricultural exports. Uganda exported 7.75 million 60-kilogramme bags worth about $2.21 billion in the 2024/25 financial year. Cocoa exports reached 72,545 tonnes worth $620.76 million, while maize exports generated $123.79 million.

Fruit and vegetable exports were valued at $102.56 million, while tea brought in $54.68 million during the same period.

Yet even with these gains, agricultural productivity remains below its potential.

A recent World Bank assessment identifies low use of fertilisers, improved seeds and machinery among the biggest constraints facing Ugandan farmers. It also cites soil degradation and limited irrigation.

Many farmers still depend on rainfall, leaving production vulnerable to droughts and changing weather patterns. Floods, pests and diseases also continue to threaten crops and livestock.

Access to affordable finance remains another obstacle. Farmers face high interest rates, limited agricultural insurance and weak access to formal credit. Poor rural roads and other infrastructure also raise production and transport costs.

The Agriculture ministry estimates that pests and diseases can cause pre-harvest losses of between 10 and 20 per cent, while post-harvest losses can reach between 20 and 30 per cent.

Uganda's Fourth National Development Plan also points to limited mechanisation, poor market links, low fertiliser use and inadequate irrigation as barriers to turning agriculture into a more productive commercial sector.

The government has in recent years increased its focus on fertiliser supply. In 2025, it backed plans for a $180 million organic fertiliser factory at Kampiringisa with a proposed production capacity of 250,000 metric tonnes a year.