Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services Policy-Oriented Proceedings: Discussions and Recommendations – Enabling Private Sector-Led Agricultural Extension and Sustainable Last-Mile Service Delivery in Uganda
Date
2026
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
AFAAS
Abstract
This publication documents the proceedings, discussions, and policy recommendations emerging from the Uganda National Agricultural Extension Week 2026 (UGNAEW2026), held under the theme “Unlocking Uganda’s Agricultural Potential: Multi-actor Extension and Advisory Services for Resilient, Digital and Market-Oriented Food Systems.” The proceedings focus on strengthening Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services (AEAS) in Uganda through private sector-led approaches, digital transformation, agroecology, professionalization, and market-oriented service delivery.
The report synthesizes keynote presentations, policy dialogues, thematic sessions, case studies, workshops, and stakeholder consultations involving government institutions, research organizations, extension practitioners, farmer organizations, development partners, and private sector actors. It identifies systemic challenges affecting Uganda’s extension ecosystem, including fragmented coordination, weak regulatory frameworks, inadequate professionalization, limited digital integration, insufficient market orientation, and low private sector incentives.
The proceedings conclude with comprehensive policy recommendations aimed at repositioning extension systems as market-driven, digitally enabled, professionalized, and partnership-based systems capable of supporting resilient and competitive agrifood systems in Uganda.
Description
This policy-oriented proceedings report captures the major discussions, experiences, lessons, and recommendations generated during the Uganda National Agricultural Extension Week 2026 (UGNAEW2026). The event served as a national platform for reflection and strategic dialogue on the future of Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services (AEAS) in Uganda within the context of climate change, market transformation, digitalization, and agricultural commercialization.
The publication documents contributions from policymakers, extension practitioners, researchers, private sector actors, development partners, farmer organizations, and continental extension leaders. Key thematic areas addressed include:
Professionalization and regulation of agricultural extension systems
Public-private partnerships in extension delivery
Digital agriculture and artificial intelligence in extension systems
Agroecology and climate-smart agriculture
Market-oriented and value chain-driven advisory services
Knowledge systems and practitioner-led evidence generation
Business-oriented extension approaches
Agro-industrialization and rural enterprise development
Strengthening last-mile service delivery systems
Coordination and governance within pluralistic extension ecosystems
The proceedings highlight the evolving role of extension systems as drivers of innovation, climate resilience, commercialization, digital transformation, and market integration. Speakers emphasized that extension services should move beyond traditional production-oriented approaches toward integrated systems linking farmers to markets, finance, quality assurance, logistics, technology, and value addition.
The report extensively discusses policy and institutional challenges affecting Uganda’s AEAS ecosystem, including:
Weak coordination among extension actors
Inadequate accreditation and regulatory systems
Limited incentives for private sector participation
Fragmented implementation approaches
Weak research-extension-farmer linkages
Insufficient digital infrastructure and data systems
Low market orientation and weak value chain integration
Capacity gaps among extension personnel
High farmer-to-extension worker ratios
Several thematic and technical sessions explored practical innovations and scalable models such as:
Farmer learning platforms
Farmer Field Schools
AI-enabled advisory systems
Community-based seed systems
Agroecological approaches
Business Growth Expert (BGE) models
Farm Enterprise Trainer (FET) models
Dairy innovation hubs
Digital extension tools and market intelligence systems
The proceedings also include a detailed policy brief outlining recommendations for strengthening Uganda’s extension system through:
Market-driven extension reforms
Regulatory strengthening and certification systems
Public-private partnership frameworks
Digital and AI integration
Data governance and evidence systems
Knowledge co-creation and practitioner visibility
Capacity building and institutional coordination
Sustainable financing mechanisms
Agro-industrialization and value chain integration
The publication emphasizes that transforming Uganda’s agricultural sector requires extension systems that are professionalized, coordinated, digitally enabled, evidence-driven, and responsive to farmer and market needs. It positions AEAS as a foundational pillar for agricultural transformation, resilience, and sustainable food systems development in Uganda and across Africa.
Keywords
Agricultural extension, Advisory services, AEAS, Uganda, Private sector extension, Agroecology, Digital agriculture, Artificial intelligence, Climate-smart agriculture, Market-oriented agriculture, Professionalization, Public-private partnerships, Agro-industrialization, Value chains, Last-mile delivery, Agricultural policy, Extension systems, Farmer advisory services
Citation
African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS). (2026). Agricultural extension and advisory services policy-oriented proceedings: Discussions and recommendations – Enabling private sector-led agricultural extension and sustainable last-mile service delivery in Uganda [Conference proceedings]. Uganda National Agricultural Extension Week 2026, Kampala, Uganda. AFAAS.