Dr Henry Nakelet Opolot, the commissioner for Agricultural Extension and Skills Management in the ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, noted that poor road connectivity has increased the cost of agricultural inputs, limiting access to extension services, which has hampered the delivery of produce to the markets.
Opolot made these comments at the 13th Annual National Forum on Agriculture and Food Security hosted by the Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC) at Protea hotel under the theme ‘Connecting Communities, Leveraging Roads and Market Infrastructure for Household Food Security in Uganda’, where he represented the minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Hon Frank Tumwebaze.
This revelation comes as food security remains a pressing challenge, not just in Uganda but in Africa as a whole. According to the 2024 National Population and Housing Census, 46 per cent of Ugandan households are moderately or severely food-insecure, and 30.7 per cent experience severe food insecurity.
Opolot also further highlighted that poor road infrastructure has discouraged the private sector’s investment in agro-processing in remote areas, and added that for Uganda to achieve meaningful food security, it is crucial for the government to tackle issues such as post-harvest handling, and development of reliable road infrastructure that promotes market access.
“When farmers can access markets efficiently, they are more likely to invest in improved technologies, adopt diversified crop centers and enterprises, and increase output. This, in turn, enhances dietary diversity and improves nutritional outcomes,” he added.
Elizabeth Birabwa Aliro, the head of programs at EPRC, who represented the executive director of EPRC, Dr Sarah Ssewanyana, at the event, noted: “Roads and market infrastructure are the vital arteries of our food system… Our journey to a hunger-free Uganda begins on the very roads that connect our farms to our dinner tables.”
Birabwa noted that food insecurity persists in most rural households despite government subsidies, which is caused by inadequate rural feeder roads.
“Many rural roads are in poor condition or nonexistent, resulting in high transportation costs for farmers, post-harvest losses, and delayed market access. Uganda’s food network, although expanding, remains insufficient, especially in rural areas where many roads are unpaved and in poor condition.” Birabwa added.
Birabwa called upon the government to move from fragmented efforts to deliberate integration of infrastructure and food systems policies, which involves prioritizing feeder road rehabilitation, ensuring each parish is connected by at least an all-season murram road to the district network, which reduces rural isolation.