MINAGRI urges local leaders to ease access to fertilizers without land documents
The Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) urges local leaders not to burden citizens when they request land documents (UPI) so they can receive fertilizers and subsidies, as this goes against the Ministry’s guidelines.
In an interview with RBA, Olivier Kamana, the Permanent Secretary at MINAGRI, began by explaining how they are preparing for the 2025 A planting season, as the Ministry is responsible for this task.
He said: “As usual, before we start the first planting season, we meet with agronomists and veterinarians from all districts and sectors in the country to plan how the season will go, how we will distribute different fertilizers, and issue specific guidelines for that season.”
He continued: “All of that has been done, and now we are in the period when the season should start. Some people have already begun planting in areas where the rains came early, while in other areas, they are still preparing. We are in the process of distributing fertilizers across the country, and it is going well. We have teams from the Ministry visiting to monitor the implementation of this process.”
Some citizens, for example in Kayonza district, have raised concerns about not receiving fertilizers, claiming they are required to present their land ownership documents (UPI) to access them. What do MINAGRI’s guidelines say on this matter to ensure that citizens receive fertilizers on time, especially since some farm on land that isn’t their own?
Kamana responded: “The citizens are not at fault because MINAGRI’s guidelines on the distribution of fertilizers are clear. It is stated that any farmer who needs fertilizers, including those receiving subsidies, is not required to have land documents or a UPI number. Having
it is a bonus, but if they don’t have it, what they should provide is their national ID number. With this, they can present a land lease agreement for the land they plan to farm, which is verified by the sector agronomist, who then enters them into the system, making them eligible to receive fertilizers and subsidies.”
“Therefore, saying that those without a UPI number cannot receive fertilizers is not true. To increase our crop yield per hectare, as you may have noticed, we have implemented several measures that have resulted in good harvests recently. We encourage farmers to register in the system to receive fertilizers and to use improved seeds and industrial fertilizers, which should be mixed with organic fertilizers to further boost production per hectare.”He added
One of the government’s goals is to ensure that all arable land is cultivated and yields produce, as has been the case this year. This is a program that MINAGRI continues to implement. However, there are concerns about whether land allocated to citizens, which isn’t officially registered to them, will lead to complications if they are required to have a UPI to receive fertilizers and subsidies.
On this issue, people also question what message MINAGRI sends to agronomists who might take advantage of the situation to divert fertilizers or other resources meant for citizens, as has been the case in recent years when reports emerged from various districts about some agricultural officials being arrested after being caught with industrial fertilizers.
Kamana responded: “Where such incidents occurred, those involved were arrested and punished, and we will continue to tighten our monitoring efforts as a Ministry. During the fertilizer distribution process, inspections are conducted to ensure everything is being implemented properly. Therefore, we also send a message to agronomists to uphold integrity so they don’t fall into misconduct, because those involved in such practices last year were penalized. There are sufficient fertilizers, both locally produced and supplemented by imports, so we are confident that no farmer will request fertilizers and fail to get them.”
He concluded: “Based on the fertilizers already in the country, which have also passed quality assurance checks, we are confident there is enough for all farmers as we prepare for the 2025 A planting season.”