By Benjamin Jumbe
The minister of agriculture animal industry and fisheries Frank Tumwebaze has underscored the need to train more agricultural officers and technicians to support smallholder farms.
The minister reveals that today, the ministry has skilled and trained only 800 operators and assistant operators out of the initial target of 15,000 equipment and machine operators across the country.
He however argues that to cause agricultural transformation, there is a need to have a critical mass of agricultural operators and technicians both in the public and private sector working with smallholder farmers to facilitate technology uptake and value chain development.
Tumwebaze has also called for urgent construction, rehabilitation and revitalization of the Namalere National Referral Agricultural Mechanisation centre and the 18 Zonal Agricultural Mechanization centres for promoting the agricultural mechanization services in the country.
The minister last week commissioned the Construction of the Mbale- Bungokho zonal agricultural mechanization centre.
