TRAIL MercyCorps TRAIL MercyCorps Mercy Corps has requested USD 3 479 161 for the implementation of The Sustainable Agriculture Development Project in Lamwo, Kitgum, Agago and Pader during the period 2014-2017.

The goals of the contribution are 1) Increased production and productivity of agricultural products for female and male smallholder farmers, 2) Development of the key commodity markets in the targeted areas, 3) Increased access to financial products and services for male and female farmers and small agricultural enterprises run by men and women.

The total budget for the project is USD 6 538 128 to which Sweden contributes with 53 percent. The remainder is funded by Gulu Agricultural Development Company ( GADC ) - a major purchaser of crops in northern Uganda. GADC also contribute with their experience and knowledge. The company's agent network will be utilized to reach out with training to the very large number of farmers. Mercy Corps har ansökt om USD  3 479 161 för genomförandet av The Sustainable Agriculture Development Project i Lamwo, Kitgum, Agago och Pader under perioden 2014-2017.

Målen med insatsen är 1) Ökad produktion och produktivitet av jordbruksprodukter hos kvinnliga och manliga småjordbrukare, 2) Utveckling av de viktigaste råvarumarknaderna i målområdena, 3) Ökad tillgång till finansiella produkter och tjänster för kvinnliga och manliga jordbrukare och små jordbruksföretag som leds av män och kvinnor.

Den totala budgeten för projektet är USD  6 538 128 till vilken Sverige bidrar med 53 procent. Resterande del finansieras av Gulu Agricultural Development Company (GADC) - en stor uppköpare av grödor i norra Uganda. GADC bidrar även med sin erfarenhet och kunskap. Företagets agentnätverk kommer att utnyttjas för att nå ut med utbildning till det mycket stora antalet jordbrukare. In northern Uganda agriculture employs over 90 percent of the population. The agricultural sector is highly fragmented, meaning that investments, productivity and incomes remain low. As a result, millions of people in Northern Uganda are trapped in poverty. The proportion of population below the poverty line in the Uganda northern region is higher than the national average. Still the norhern Uganda region has significant potential -not the least thanks to vast areas of highly fertile unutilized land. It also has a potential to use productive agriculture as a way to bridge the gap between humanitarian support and development cooperation for refugee receiving ares (in line with the CRRF, Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework).
Lack of access to high quality inputs, limited access to financial services, high post-harvest losses, poor agronomic practices, lack of information and unstructured commodity markets are key constraints on investments and productivity. The program, consists of a partnership between Mercy Corps and a private sector company (GADC) adresses these constraints by focusing on providing improved access to agricultural services, trainings, inputs and access to markets. However, since increased productivity and incomes does not guarantee breaking the poverty trap (savings, investments and wise spending decisions are needed as well) the project has provided financial literacy and business skills training. Women - who still conduct the majority of agricultural activities including land preparation, planting, weeding, harvesting and post-harvest handling - are key to bringing change to the region. Therefore the project has a particular focus on women.
The aim is to achieve long-term systemic change and therefore partnerships with private sector actors are important. The project has had a facilitative strategy, teaming up with the Gulu Agricultural Development Company (GADC) - a main buyer of agricultural products in the region. GADC maintains a network of field workers who support lead farmers. The lead farmers train and work with groups of individual farmers. Field workers as well as of course lead farmers are from the project area. GADC provides a guaranteed market for farmer produce and contributes to changing the market dynamics in the region by working with inputs suppliers, farmers, trading agents and the government. Postbank, which has developed financial products targeting small-holder farmers, has partly been a partner in the financial literacy and business skills training. Partnerships with financial institutions  help make training as relevant and targeted as possible, increase the development value of private investments and have a market-making effect.
The partnership between Mercy Corps and GADC, builds on a common interest in solving the problem of low productivity and investments in the  area.