Increasing GAP and Access to Seeds in Refugee and Host Communities

Context and Project Objective

The vegetable sector in the Kyaka II and Kyangwali refugee settlements and host communities in Western Uganda faces systemic constraints, including market distortion in input supply, limited access to quality inputs and knowledge for vegetable producers, challenges in trade and marketing due to remote locations, and financial limitations for small-scale farming.  

In response, this project, which is part of the larger Sustainable Market Inclusive Livelihood Pathways to Self-Reliance (SMILES) project, seeks to enhance the vegetable sector’s vitality, improve farmer livelihoods, and create jobs in rural communities by delivering expert agricultural extension services, facilitating market connections, and engaging with agro-input dealers to strengthen access to quality, affordable vegetable seeds. 

During the project’s 1-year pilot phase (2023–2024), EWS-KT trained 2,185 smallholder farmers on good agricultural practices and strengthened access to quality, affordable vegetable seeds. The 2-year scale-up phase (2025–2027) will reach more farmers with improved vegetable production practices and will further develop the vegetable sector by building the technical capacity and connectivity of agro-input dealers and by training and supporting seedling producers as entrepreneurs. The scale-up phase will also pilot the use of small-scale irrigation systems by smallholder farmers.

This project aims to:

• Promote Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and the use of improved (well-adapted, high-yielding) vegetable varieties among smallholder farmers. Adoption of improved practices and varieties will lead to increased productivity and profitability for farmers and create opportunities in the seed market. Half of the farmers will be in the refugee settlements, and half will be in the host communities.
• Facilitate market linkages by developing relationships with vegetable traders in order to increase access to lucrative horticultural output markets within the refugee settlements and host districts as well as outside these districts.
• Build the capacity of agro-input dealers to provide accurate and current horticultural knowledge as a driver of sales, and engage agro-input dealers (including last-mile or village-based suppliers/agents) to increase access to high-yielding seed for smallholder farmers by stocking high-quality, well-adapted varieties. 
• Identify and train Community Farmer Trainers (CFTs) on advanced seedling production. Setting up seedling production centers within these communities will provide a source of seedlings for farmers who do not have money to buy a whole packet of seeds or who do not want to take on the risks associated with seedling production.

Target Outcomes from Pilot Phase

• 80 key farmers establish demonstration plots that showcase improved vegetable farming techniques and crop varieties and make a business case for profitable vegetable production.
• 1,500 smallholder farmers (50% in refugee settlements, 50% in host communities) benefit from the interventions. Of these farmers, at least 40% are youth and at least 60% are women.
• At least 60% of participating farmers adopt new vegetable production technologies, and at least 60% increase their yields and marketable volumes of target vegetables.
• At least 4 agro-input dealers (2 in host communities and 2 in refugee settlements) sign memorandums of understanding to make quality seed available to smallholder farmers.

Target Outcomes from Scale-Up Phase

• 174 key farmers establish demonstration plots that showcase improved vegetable farming techniques and crop varieties and make a business case for profitable vegetable production. Of these key farmers, at least 30% are youth and at least 40% are women.
• 8,000 smallholder farmers (50% in refugee settlements, 50% in host communities) benefit from the intervention.
• At least 60% of participating farmers adopt new vegetable production technologies, and at least 60% increase their yields and marketable volumes of target vegetables.
• At least 30 agro-input dealers are trained in agribusiness and basic agronomy.
• At least 8 agro-input dealers (4 in host communities and 4 in refugee settlements) sign memorandums of understanding to make quality seed available to smallholder farmers.
• 8 Community Farmer Trainers are identified and trained, with the aim of enhancing the project’s long-term impact.
• 4 seedling production centers from the pilot phase are provided with capacity development support, and at least 8 new seedling production centers are established as agri-enterprises by motivated farmers.

EWS-KT Partners

Funding partner: AVSI Foundation

Project Period

1 February 2025 – 31 January 2027 (scale-up phase)
1 October 2023 – 30 September 2024 (pilot phase)

Location

Uganda: Kyaka II and Kyangwali Refugee Settlements and their host communities