End-of-year
reports have confirmed that 2008 was one of the worst years in the last quarter
century. Traffic accidents, alcohol consumption, human sacrifice, violence and
crime, political and economic corruption, environmental degradation and oil
crisis – all went up. The food situation – the focus of the article – exhibited
the same upward trend. We explain the main cause of hunger in a country known
for food self-sufficiency.
Commentators
continue to give the impression that
At the World Food Summit in
President Museveni reported that “
sufficient. We not only produce enough food for ourselves, we also have plenty
for export.
Earlier,
while justifying food exports and sales to World Food Program, the Ministers of
Agriculture, and Trade and Industry observed that
to European visitors and Winston Churchill who reported that
feed her people with surplus for export.
Academic
and donor advice has added to complacency. Before becoming Prime Minister Professor
Apollo Nsibambi had written reminding Ugandans that food crops were cash crops
as well. He advised that
sorghum, beans, ground nuts and cassava) and to European markets (soya beans,
simsim, and sunflower seeds).
calling, inter alia, for an increase in and diversification of exports to earn
foreign currency primarily to repay external debts.
At
a seminar on the economy of Uganda since 1986, the Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Planning and Economic Development emphasized the boosting of
exports which was confirmed by the President who stressed Uganda’s potential
for expanding export capacity in non-traditional commodities of beans, soya
beans, horticultural fruits, bogoya (plantain), maize and many others.
On
January 20 and
feed itself and generate surplus food for export. Accordingly, the major
economic strategy was to achieve an export-oriented growth, noting that projects
aimed at promoting and diversifying exports would be given first priority. The
government has since stressed production for cash rather than for the
stomach.
In
its election manifesto for 2006, the NRM recorded food exports in 2002 and 2004
as one of the success stories. Fish exports increased from 25,525 to 31,808
tons, beans from 10,753 to 26,233 tons and sesame from 1380 to 4283 tons.
The
importance of exports in
Finance wrote “Exports increase by 15%” on top of the front page of his budget
speech for 2008/9 financial year.
Finally,
on
President Museveni addressed the United Nations General Assembly Debate in
Crisis on Poverty and Hunger in the World…” While other delegations expressed the hardship their citizens were
experiencing because of the global food crisis and calling for urgent measures
to reverse and avoid adverse political and social consequences, the President reported
that high prices were a blessing for
It is not a bottleneck. In fact farmers in
groups that are adversely affected are the salary earners in towns. Unlike the
farmers, they cannot benefit from higher prices. Yet they must buy food”.
The
end-of-year reports show that most Ugandans including farmers who also buy food
experienced great difficulties.
To
address adequately the domestic food situation it will be necessary to change
the understanding of food self-sufficiency because food availability alone is
not sufficient to end hunger. Therefore development policies need to be recast
to ensure that Ugandans have the means to produce and access food in sufficient
quantity and quality at all times. Chapter 8 of my book titled “
2008” available at www.jonesharvest.com has offered some suggestions.
[email protected],
www.kashambuzi.com