Ugandan Soils Increasingly Losing Fertility-FAO

Participants in the soil mapping training course in a group photo with officials from FAO and Makerere University

Uganda should invest heavily in sustainable soil management practices if food production and productivity is to be guaranteed.

Dr. Janet Nabwami, a Soil Management Specialist at Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Uganda, says their research shows that Ugandan soils are increasingly losing fertility, thus leading to lower agricultural production.

Dr. Nabwami made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Business Focus on the sidelines of the ongoing week-long digital soil-mapping training course titled: “Capacity Development on Sustainable Soil Management for Uganda”. The training is taking place at  Makerere University.

The training that is organized by FAO-Uganda in collaboration with Makerere University has attracted about 30 participants including students, extension officers, agricultural officers, lecturers, technicians and researchers.

Dr. Nabwami says FAO has analyzed soil samples from Eastern Uganda and the results are worrying.

“We analyzed 500 soil samples from Kumi district and the results show that soils are in a decline situation. They are very low in organic matter. Ugandan soils are no longer fertile and we need to do something before we are in jeopardy,” Nabwami says.

She urges farmers to carryout proper agronomic practices that promote sustainable soil management.

“We need to look at the inputs, we need to look at how we improve soil fertility and conserve it. The farmer has to look at the fertilizers they apply, apply it in the right amount and apply it at the right time,” she said, urging farmers to start testing their soils to know what’s exactly missing.

She says farmers should take soil conservation seriously which calls for good agronomic practices.

“Farmers need to control soil erosion, conserve soil water and conserve the biodiversity. All this is important for soil productivity,” she says, adding that the ongoing training will go a long way in creating awareness about soil testing and the need to have more soil testing laboratories so as to have services easily accessible by farmers.

She says there’s also need to update the soil policy as the current one was lasted updated 20 years ago.

“We also need to get the soil institutes up and running,” she says, adding: “There’s need to revisit the national fertilizer policy and operationalize the national fertilizer strategy as this will assist in dealing with major challenges hindering fertilizer use along the fertilizer value chain.”

Speaking at the same event, FAO Representative, Dr. Querido Antonio said too often people take soils for granted.

He said many Ugandans think soils are fertile and therefore anything you throw in the soil will grow which is not true.

“We do not know what is in our soil. The results from the research centers and what farmers are getting show a big discrepancy. Farmers will yield about 2.5tones of maize in a season from a hectare and research trials from NARO or Makerere will yield over 10 tonnes,” he said.

He added: “We want farmers to be able to use the same parameters to get such yields and the quality of our soil and how we manage it is critical. As we look at food systems transformation and agricultural transformation, we need to look at and improve soils.”

He says there’s need to recognize soil as part of the global fight on climate change.

“We will not achieve our goals if we do not improve the quality of soil. The global fight on climate change should include soil,” he said.

Speaking at the same event,  Ye Anping, FAO Rome- Director, South-South and Triangular Cooperation Division, FAO, said under the South to South Cooperation, FAO plays an active role in facilitating cooperation between countries to exchange information, knowledge and technologies to promote agriculture, reduce food insecurity and malnutrition.

“ In the context of Uganda, in Agriculture sector, FAO has facilitated cooperation arrangements between Uganda and Peoples Republic of China. One of the ongoing cooperation arrangements with Uganda, in particular through Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), is sharing of knowledge and experiences on sustainable soil management,” Anping said.

He added that by cherishing and nurturing soils, “we can achieve better

production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for all, leaving no one behind in Uganda.”

He added that there’s need to improve soil productivity in order to improve agricultural production.

“Soil is one of four important factors for agriculture development. The four are: Soil, good management, water and quality seed. We also need political will. Without political support, we cannot afford strong discussion on soil and place it in a relevant position in agriculture development,” he said.

On his part, Prof. Yazidhi Bamutaze, the Deputy Principal College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES)-Makerere University, who represented the Principal of the College, said Uganda and Africa at large cannot divorce soils from the realization of SDGs.

“…We need to reflect on the importance of soils in our progress at the global level. We also need to recognize importance of soils at national level. NDP III cannot be implemented void of looking at soils and soil management. We are therefore in a central position in looking at soils. Degradation is widespread but there are aspects we can look at in a different way. In terms of soil mapping, Africa is poorly mapped. There is a lot that we do not know. At continental level, we need to develop databases even in Uganda, to understand what exists. We have a challenge in terms of improving the geography of mapping soils and understanding the qualities of soil and its properties. That is why this training is very important,” he said.