DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM

The government is trying to bring about what is termed as sustainable development amongst its people especially those living in rural areas. Government has many such programmes. Building Health center IV per County (with VCT and PMTCT); PAF - Poverty Alleviation Fund); LGDP (Local Government Development Program); UPE (Universal Primary Education) and PMA (Plan for the Modernization of Agriculture) are some of them. PMA, which has a component of NAADS (National Agricultural Advisory Services) was put in place to address the shortcomings in provision of agricultural extension services by establishing a decentralized, farmer-owned, and, private sector serviced extension delivery system.
Agriculture is by far, the main economic activity in the district and the recent studies show that over 78.2% of the population depend on subsistence farming as the main source of livelihood. The need to have them congregated into groups is apparent but Farmer groups have been fragile and absolutely obsolete.
Also, it is cultural; the women do not own land. Yet they are the undeclared beasts of production. They till the land, keep the homes, prepare the food and feed the households. Yet it is the men that decide what is produced and how the proceeds are spent. Because they are the cash handlers, the men prefer cash crops such as coffee and vanilla. In the end, when the cash crops are produced, the men sell off the crop and waste the proceeds in alcoholic consumptions. They even marry off better-looking women (the woman who tills land day to day is in most cases not looking beautiful). This polygamy brings in a competition for conceptions. The favorite wife must produce more children. The children further stretch the nutrition requirements of the home. Malnutrition sets in and infant Mortality rates soar.
 Even then HIV/AIDS prevalence soars and Mubende is at 14%. HIV/AIDS remains a major force working against the productive force of the population. Given that the production methods are mainly rudimental, land-ownership and inheritance mainly patriarchal, quantity supersedes quality production. There is no comprehensive land use plan; most activities are unplanned and therefore increased environment degradation.
There is need to have, agricultural related projects in improved seeds, agro-processing, non-rain-fed agriculture, agro-marketing, land rights for women and sustainable agriculture practices.

ACT NOW