The United Nations FAO gave walking tractors to farmer groups in Karamoja on Monday. They partnered with Uganda's Agriculture Ministry to help small farmers grow more food in the chronically hungry region. The equipment came through a project called F-SURE, which serves over 12,000 farming households across six districts.
Outgoing FAO representative Antonio Querido believes Karamoja will change for the better with these machines. He said Africa needs better farming equipment instead of traditional hand tools that limit what farmers can produce. The tractors let farmers work larger areas faster with less physical effort compared to manual methods.
The F-SURE project started in 2017 and runs until May 2025. It addresses food shortages caused by environmental problems and climate change. Each sub-county receives five single-axle tractors and five tricycles for land preparation and other farming tasks.
Dr. Paul Ayella from the Agriculture Ministry said the project has created policies supporting improved crop and livestock production. The ministry promotes switching to appropriate technology because human and animal power can no longer meet Uganda's farming goals. As part of the program, FAO trained the farmer groups on how to use and maintain their new equipment.
Outgoing FAO representative Antonio Querido believes Karamoja will change for the better with these machines. He said Africa needs better farming equipment instead of traditional hand tools that limit what farmers can produce. The tractors let farmers work larger areas faster with less physical effort compared to manual methods.
The F-SURE project started in 2017 and runs until May 2025. It addresses food shortages caused by environmental problems and climate change. Each sub-county receives five single-axle tractors and five tricycles for land preparation and other farming tasks.
Dr. Paul Ayella from the Agriculture Ministry said the project has created policies supporting improved crop and livestock production. The ministry promotes switching to appropriate technology because human and animal power can no longer meet Uganda's farming goals. As part of the program, FAO trained the farmer groups on how to use and maintain their new equipment.
