Crop production data and forecasts system in ... - Foodnet - cgiar

Annex 4 Support to Strengthen Agricultural Statistics Project (SSASP)
From UBOS Web Site
The agricultural sector forms the cornerstone of the Uganda Economy. It contributes about 42%
to total GDP, over 95% to total exports and provides about 80% of employment. In spite of this
importance, the sector does not have a good Agricultural Statistical System (ASS) to provide
information for supporting policy formulation, implementation and, monitoring and evaluation of
agricultural development programme’s. In brief, the ASS has been and is still weak, vulnerable,
unsustainable and unable to meet data users' needs.
As a preliminary effort to re-engineer the ASS, a Data Needs Assessment Study was undertaken
in August 1999. This was followed by a stakeholder’s workshop in October 1999 and the design
of an Integrated Framework for the Development of Agricultural Statistics in Uganda in March
2000. As part of operationalizing the Framework, several project proposals were prepared one of
which was 'Support to Strengthen Agricultural Statistics Project (SSASP)', to be funded under a
grant from the Royal Government of Norway to the tune of US$ 1.8 million. This project is
expected to last three years.
SSASP will contribute towards building a national ASS that will provide statistical data and
information required by government and other users. The institutional and technical capacity of
the main institutions in the production of agricultural statistics will be strengthened. In particular,
capacity for collecting, processing, analyzing, interpreting and disseminating crop and livestock
data to main users will be strengthened through various forms of training.
SUPPORT TO STRENGTHEN AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS PROJECT (SSASP)
INTRODUCTION:
One of the findings of the Data Needs Assessment Study which was undertaken in August 1999
by a FAO / World Bank Mission, was that the National Agricultural Statistical System in Uganda
was fragile, vulnerable, unsustainable and unable to meet demands for food and agricultural
statistics. Since then, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics and Government of Uganda have taken
bold steps to re-engineer the system through the following:
1. Design of a Framework for the Development of Agricultural Statistics in Uganda; this
Framework is the policy and strategy document for the development of agricultural
statistics;
2. Planned a Census Program which includes: a Population and Housing Census (with an
Agricultural Module to provide appropriate sampling frames) in 2002, an Agricultural
Census and a Livestock Census slated for 2003 and 2004 respectively; and,
3. Prepared several project proposals for funding in order to operationalize the Framework.
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