International non-governmental organization and the development of agriculture sector in Ntungamo District, a case of Africare.

Abstract

For a long period of time INGOs have been in Uganda. As time evolves, INGOs started to be established at the grass root for easy implementation of their programmes. For example 1997 Africare has been supplementing government’s efforts to improve the agricultural sector in Ntungamo district.

Indeed Africare has been carrying out training of farmers, instituted follow up mechanisms, upgrading water sources, to make sure that their efforts are not in vain, supplying improved seeds to farmers and improvement of infrastructure like repair of bridges.

Despite all these, the agriculture sector in Ntungamo remained under developed, farmers are still practicing subsistence farming, there is low production of foodstuffs and commercial farming is not identified on the ground. It was against the background that this study was done. The results from the filed indicates that INGOs have played a fundamental role to the improvement of agriculture in Ntungamo district. This conclusion was driven at after the through interview that was conduct from 60 respondents though from deferent categories.

The results further indicate agriculture improvement by comparing the agriculture activities before and after intervention by INGOs. With the recorded Agriculture improvement however, the study observed that people are still poor, agriculture sector is still poor, commercial framing is only read in the newspaper. It is against the above observation that the research highlights what he thought could be a panacea to agriculture problem in Ntungamo and Uganda at large.

The research suggests social capital as another alternative that can fill the gap that is left by the INGOs and Government. The study concludes recommending the amalgamation of Government, INGOs and Social capital if modern agriculture is to be realised in Ntungamo district and Uganda in particular.