Improving Agricultural Statistics in the COMCEC Region

iii.

Resources of the Agricultural System

As mentioned in the previous section, the main collectors of agricultural data do not have

sufficient financial and human resources to set up a system for effective data collection and

analysis. Hence, the result is that no regular national agricultural production statistics are

produced in Uganda.

The capacity to handle data in the sector, in terms of both human resources and equipment,

remains inadequate. This is even more noticeable in the relevant ministries, departments and

agencies, and local governments to the extent that the implementation of the PNSD is affected.

The lack of human resources to carry out tasks for data generation, processing and use has

remained below the required staffing norms at all levels. The national agricultural statistics

system is consequently unable to meet the demands for food and agricultural statistics.

Human Resources:

As a coordinating body,

the number of staff for agricultural statistics in

UBOS is only 14, including 5 senior and 9 statisticians. In MAAIF, as a result of the function and

structure review that was completed in 2010, the Statistics Unit under the Department of

Agricultural Planning became a Statistical Division with 18 staff, headed by an Assistant

Commissioner in charge of Statistics. This Division has a Principal Statistician, 3 Senior

Statisticians and 13 statisticians at regional level and responsible for the annual agricultural

surveys in close collaboration with UBOS to update the annual data. This improvement in the

human resource structure will improve the quality of statistics being generated from the other

departments in the Ministry.

As far as the relevant agencies are concerned, most do not have statisticians. Statistics-related

work is covered by a variety of staff. For example in National Agricultural Research

Organization (NARO) the Biometrician, a specialist in Biosciences works on statistics; in CDO,

officers in the Market Information Unit; in NAADS, two planning and monitoring and

evaluation, and two database officers; in UTCC, the GIS specialist; in UCDA and the PMA

Secretariat, the Principal Information Officer and the Programme Officer (for monitoring and

evaluation) respectively handle statistics work.

Financial Resources:

Financial resources remain a major constraint of the development of the

national agricultural statistics system. Many data producers in UBOS and MAAIF have

experienced budgetary cuts that have caused suspension, delays or even cancellations of

important statistical activities like censuses and sample surveys. The budget to produce data

collection tools is very limited or non-existent and the central units and districts lack tools for

collection or reporting data. This situation has also made it difficult to build and sustain the

survey infrastructure in the form of field organizations, equipment and other logistics. The

annual budget for producing agricultural statistics is around 300,000 USD.

Physical Resources:

The physical and statistical infrastructure of the institutions

participating in the agricultural statistics system should be improved so as not to compromise

the efficiency and effectiveness in the process of producing and disseminating statistics. Both

UBOS and MAAIF have computers for their staff but without any network and connection to

SSAQ Results.