Cabinet has resolved to make adjustments to the FY 2017/2018 budget – raising an additional Shs 15 billion for immediate food relief.
In December last year President Yoweri Museveni said funds budgeted for road construction would be diverted to offering food aid. It is not immediately clear if the Shs 15 billion is part or an addition to that commitment.
Unpredictable rains and pro-longed drought has rendered over 1.6 million Ugandans in as many as 45 districts across the country food insecure according to the latest UN food report.
Yesterday’s cabinet meeting also resolved to raise Shs 27 billion to buy seedlings to supply to farmers in order to prepare for the next planting season.
David Bahati, the state minister of finance for planning told parliament that the additional Shs 27 billion was in the view of taking advantage of the current rains so that farmers are well prepared.
“In the meantime we are taking advantage of the donation that we received from China of rice, and that will also be used to supplement efforts by government”, he said.
Deputy speaker Jacob Oulanyah directed parliament’s budget and agriculture committees to follow up on the implementation of government’s commitment.
Bahati’s statement follows a commitment by prime minister Ruhakana Rugunda on Tuesday, when he briefed parliament about cabinet deliberations on the current food crisis in the country affecting several parts in country. The most food insecure regions in the country include Teso, Karamoja, Bukedi, the cattle corridor, Busoga, Lango, Acholi and parts of central Uganda.
Rugunda’s commitment followed a debate in which legislators demanded government action to mitigate the food insecurity in the country. The MPs also demanded adequate funding to the agricultural sector.
A Shs 28.8 trillion total budget FY 2017/2018 framework paper was approved by parliament early this month. In the budget, government under the agriculture sector had already earmarked Shs 129 billion to undertake sustainable food production systems.
A breakdown of the money indicates that Shs 23.3 billion is to support irrigation interventions like construction of valley tanks, Shs 35.4 billion for value addition in beef for exports, and Shs 9.4 billion for animal disease control and surveillance among others.
The others include Shs 4 billion for crop pests and disease control, four billion for quality assurance, monitoring and support to extension services, and Shs 27.5 billion for seed and planting materials for beans, cowpeas, maize, cassava, sweet potatoes and bananas.
An additional Shs 15.3 billion is for mechanization and provision of tractors and Shs 10 billion for provision of hoes. However, parliament directed that government reallocates the Shs 10 billion for buying hoes to funding research activities.
According to Musa Ecweru, the state minister for disaster preparedness, the current relief stocks stand at 30,000 bags of maize flour, 7,000 bags of beans and 119,660 bags of rice. He said the rice item worth Shs 22.2 billion was a donation from the government of China.