The 2024 National Population & Housing Census report has revealed that the highest percentage of agricultural households (53%) undertook agricultural production mainly for home consumption and 27 percent for only home consumption. The report reveals that 17.1% of the households in Uganda engaged in agricultural production mainly for sale.
According to the report, 62 percent of households in Uganda are engaged in agriculture as at May 2024 compared to about 80 percent reported in the 2014 Census.
The report reveals that households engaged in crop growing are 61 percent compared to 75 percent reported in census 2014. In addition, 37 percent of the households are engaged in livestock keeping compared to 58 percent in the 2014 census.
The results reveal that there are more households engaged in crop and livestock (22 %), followed by those engaged in crop growing only (21%), while those keeping livestock were three percent.
The results further show that the Teso sub-region has the highest percentage of households engaged in agricultural production (87%), followed by Lango (83%) and Karamoja and Acholi at 81%. Buganda has the lowest percentage of households engaged in agriculture (38%).
Bunyoro & Buganda lead in commercial farming
According to the census report, Bunyoro and Buganda Sub Regions at 27.1% and 27% respectively reported the highest percentage of agricultural households undertaking the activity mainly for sale while Karamoja (7%) reported the least.
These are followed by Tooro at 22.7% and Elgon at 18.7%.
Other regions with a big number of households engaged in commercial farming are; Ankole (17.2%), Busoga (14.6%), Kigezi (14%) and Lango (13.6%).
Regarding producing for only for home consumption, Busoga has the highest percentage (32%), followed by Kigezi, Elgon, Tooro, Karamoja, and Bukedi at 30%.
The report shows that Teso sub-region has the highest percentage of agriculture households producing mainly for home consumption with 69%, followed by West Nile and Acholi each at 65% while Buganda had the least with 41%, followed by Tooro and Bunyoro at 45% and 46.6% respectively.
It’s important to note that the Third National Development Plan identified the agro-industrialization program with a goal of increasing commercialization and competitiveness of agricultural production and agro- processing.
Therefore, the census results on the agricultural sector are a key ingredient in the monitoring of the NDP III performance, informing decision-making and policy formulation.
