Much as farmers in the Karamoja sub-region are known to be pastoralists — deriving satisfaction from moving with their cattle from place to place — the practice may no longer be sustainable due to the increasing incidents of food insecurity in the region.
Food insecurity in Karamoja is driven by several factors, including changing weather patterns that have led to prolonged dry conditions, as well as limited investment in farming by the local population.
While leaders like Paul Lokomol, the Kotido district LC5 chairperson, attribute the persistent food insecurity to limited interventions in areas such as water for production, other stakeholders advocate for a change in the region’s farming system.
Experts from the agriculture ministry argue that farmers in the Karamoja sub-region need to transition from pastoralism, which focuses solely on livestock keeping, to agro-pastoralism — a system that combines crop farming with livestock rearing.
Eng. Francis Waneloba from the agricultural mechanisation division of the agriculture ministry, said agro-pastoralism could be a game-changer for the region. “Pastoralism on its own cannot lead to increased production and productivity. There must be a range of interventions, such as improving animal breeds and more importantly, shifting from pastoralism to agro-pastoralism, where both systems can thrive within the same environment,” he said.
Waneloba added that for agro-pastoralism to succeed, livestock must walk less.
“When animals walk long distances, their productivity decreases.”
Promotion of agro-pastoralism
To reduce the distance animals travel, the ministry is working to bring water sources closer to pastoralists, enabling them to grow pasture nearby.
“We are also improving breeds through crossbreeding — because better breeds are not suited for long-distance walking, and they minimise the destruction of food crops during foraging,” Waneloba said.
The promotion of such initiatives underpins the recent decision to procure walking tractors equipped with various farm implements such as irrigation pumps, planters and transport carriers.
Additionally, tricycles will assist with on-farm transportation throughout the planting season. Waneloba proposed this new farming model on Monday during the handover of 55 walk-behind tractors and tricycle motorcycles to leaders from the Karamoja sub-region at the National Agricultural Mechanisation Referral Centre in Namalere, Kawanda in Wakiso district.
This equipment was procured under the project dubbed Fostering Sustainability and Resilience for Food Security in the Karamoja sub-region (F-SURE), which is being implemented in the districts of Karenga, Kaabong, Kotido, Moroto, Nabilatuk and Nakapiripirit, reaching over 12,000 farming households.
F-SURE is a five-year initiative funded by the Global Environment Facility and jointly implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and United Eng. Paul Ayela, a member of the technical team behind the procurement, said the introduction of walking tractors was intended to pilot machinery use among smallholder farmers in the Karamoja sub-region.
“We chose Karamoja because it is one of the most marginalised regions in terms of food production and access to agricultural technology.
Our aim is to start with smaller machines before eventually introducing larger ones,” Ayela said.
He said one of the reasons behind choosing these machines is their suitability for small plots of land. They also help reduce soil compaction —supporting soil conservation — and can be easily maintained by local artisans.
Beneficiaries
Ayela said the machines will be distributed to 40 parishes across six districts in the Karamoja sub-region which are Karenga, Kaabong, Kotido, Moroto, Nabilatuk and Nakapiripirit.
Within the sub-counties, the equipment will be accessed by farmers through Farmer Field Schools and organised farmer groups.
“We have introduced small-scale machinery to smallholder farmers as a first step before transitioning to larger equipment. This approach is more adaptable to small plots of land and aligns with our environmental sustainability goals,” Ayela said.
He also highlighted that walk-behind tractors are not only easy to maintain, but also compatible with multiple farm implements.
“These tractors can support various attachments for water pumping, food transportation and grain processing,” he said.
Ayela emphasised that this initiative is part of the agriculture ministry’s mechanisation strategy, which is based on three core pillars: commercial sustainability, environmental sustainability and socio-economic sustainability.
Sensitisation
Ayela said the agriculture ministry, with support from FAO, has already trained local government officials, farmers, and local artisans at the parish level to raise awareness and promote the adoption of the new machinery.
What leaders say
Paul Lokomol, the Kotido LC5 district chairperson, called on the Government to expedite the construction of dams in the region to support agriculture.
“My request to the agriculture ministry is to speed up the construction of all dams so that we have sufficient water for farming and livestock. I’m happy that the construction of the big dam in Kotido is progressing well. I hope similar dams will be built in all districts of Karamoja,” he said.
Abrahams Irar, the mayor of Kotido municipality, asked for additional support in the form of improved crop and livestock seed varieties if the Government wants farmers in Karamoja to embrace commercial agriculture.
LEAD PHOTO CAPTION: Leaders from Karamoja sub-region receiving walking tractors during a handover by FAO and agriculture ministry at the National Agricultural Mechanisation Referral Centre in Namalere, Kawanda on Monday.
