Countless youths in Uganda have made a successful living out of agriculture. Among them, Mpiima Muhammed is a success story that inspires youth in his area. He dropped out of school and developed a successful agri-entrepreneurship with tomato farming. His journey wasn’t a breeze, but he pulled through. He learned everything about financial dealings from the East Africa Youth Inclusion Project. He also received training to scale his farm. From there, he never had to worry about his finances. 

Mpiima’s story shows how Uganda’s youth challenge the country’s farming norms. They are the key to solving the country’s youth unemployment issues. However, young people’s interest in farming isn’t growing as expected. This article explores how the youth are helping shape Uganda’s agricultural future.

Uganda boasts one of the youngest populations globally. Almost half of its residents are under 20 years old, which creates a double-edged sword. The demographic presents a potential workforce, but it also increases the pressing need for job creation.

Around 80% of Uganda’s youth population lives in rural areas. The primary source of livelihood here is agriculture. Yet youth unemployment is still a critical issue. Young adults who do smallholder farming work are considered underemployed. It creates a tendency among job seekers to migrate. Around 45% of internal migrants are young people.

Most youth participation in agriculture is concentrated in production. The majority of young farmers are smallholders. They work with modest tools and equipment. Participation in other parts of the agricultural value chain is increasing. But it is still limited. Some are venturing into agribusiness. For instance, Mpiima Muhammed, or marketing and other value-adding processes. The educated part of the youth work in pest management and other advisory positions.

In 2009, 74% of rural youth were involved in agriculture compared to 13% in urban areas. It is due to Urban youth being more engaged in the service sector. Many young people view farming as a poor man’s occupation with little weight in building a future. They also lack enough access to credit or land to build a viable farming business.

Agriculture is the primary income source for the country and its people. Young people have started straying away from farming. The rate at which rural youth are leaving agriculture is higher than that of urban youth. The allure of slim urban opportunities somehow attracts even the rural youth. 

There are many initiatives aimed at increasing youth participation in agriculture. Let’s discuss the challenges and opportunities for youth in Uganda’s agriculture:

The challenges

Several factors act as obstacles to total youth participation in agriculture. 

1. The biggest threat to youth is their need for land and resources. Even if the youth want to engage in agriculture, they can only start a farm with access to farming land. The problem is severe for young women who usually don’t get a share of their family’s land. Older generations hoarding control over land until their death is a serious issue.  It leaves the next in line without critical family farming knowledge.
2. Even if they get the land, the recipient needs credit or cash to develop it further. As a result, they are unable to bring in better inputs like seeds, fertilizers, or innovative tools. Even if they manage all that, they usually don’t have the skills or training to sustain a farm for a long period. 
3. They lack technical knowledge of how farming works or how to access the markets to sell their produce. This deficit is seen during post-harvest handling or pest management.

Opportunities in Agriculture

Countless organizations are working to involve the youth in agriculture. They are constantly promoting sustainable agricultural practices, such as climate-smart agriculture. The Youth Empowered through Agriculture (YETA) project offers training sessions. They focus on agriculture, business, and financial management.

Young people are more inclined towards technology. So, ICT has become a powerful tool in attracting them. Mobile applications like the iKnowFarm app have a full range of farming services. They have a forum, guides, marketplace, and market updates. Agrishare is another example of innovation where smallholder families and farms share resources.

The employment opportunities young farmers create significantly impact their local communities. Brian Pimunda’s coffee business provides him with a stable income. It also allows him to train other youth in climate-smart agriculture. Others have joined the coffee business and started sharing their knowledge.

The impact has sparked outside of Uganda’s borders as well. The shift in perception from the older generation is important for the youth to succeed. Amarin Group and Keirere Green Africa Agency create employment opportunities for the youth. and strengthen the agricultural sector.

Uganda’s youth are largely involved in climate-smart agriculture and sustainable practices. They understand the need to redirect their effort into strengthening the sector. They are gearing up to fight food security issues during climate change. So what are they doing differently to counter environmental challenges?

1. Organic farming initiatives – Prohibiting the use of fertilizers and pesticides. Only relying on natural soil conversion techniques for organic farming.
2. Agroforestry – Integrating trees into agricultural systems to enhance soil fertility and biodiversity. The D4RABs project incentivizes farmers to adopt polyculture concepts instead of banana monoculture. 
3. Water conservation – Rainwater harvesting, drip, and sprinkler irrigation to reduce water waste. Adding the adoption of drought-resistant crop varieties.
4. Integrated pest management – Using crop rotation, crop diversification, and herb farming. Instead of using pesticides, they use natural remedies to reduce pest damage. 
5. Village agent model – Training the youth to build up the necessary skills to be a village agent. Having them work as extension and advisory services for farmers.

The youth in Uganda are the driving force of change in every sector. The agriculture sector is no different. CSA, IPM, and mobile app-based farming are changing the view on how agricultural work should be done. The youth still have a long way to go in reshaping the agriculture sector to bring out its full potential. The youth, along with the government and other non-national entities, can ensure a brighter future for Uganda.