The PASIC project aims to stimulate policy action to support agricultural intensification in Uganda through evidence-based research. It is funded by the Embassy of the Netherlands and implemented by IITA, MAAIF, EPRC, and IFPRI over 4 years with a budget of 5 million USD. The project will research constraints and opportunities for intensifying irish potato and rice cropping systems. It will then use these lessons to develop zonal investment plans, identify needed policy improvements, and strengthen capacities for evidence-based policy action to support smallholder farmers in sustainably intensifying their production.

1. Policy Action for Sustainable Intensification
of Ugandan Cropping Systems (PASIC)
Funded by:
Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Implemented by:
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF)
Economic Policy Research Center (EPRC)
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
Duration: Oct 2013 – Sept 2017
Budget: 5 million USD

2. Rationale
Population Uganda exceeds 100 million people in 40 yrs
Over 70% of population depends on agriculture
Agricultural intensification is a must
Need to produce more on the same land resources
For farmers to chance:
-> Need for technologies
-> Need for ‘enabling environment’
Specific objective
To stimulate action in selected policies or programs, relevant
for agricultural intensification of smallholder production
systems, through evidence-based research and strengthening
capacities of relevant institutions

3. Lessons from the field
Two zones:
1. Southwestern Highlands – irish potato
2. Kioga plains in East Uganda – irrigated rice
Evaluation research:
Understand why some farmers and agricultural actors are
doing well and why others are not doing well.
Questions to answer:
a. what is the role of policy (implementation)
b. where do we need to invest -> investment plan

4. Policy action
-> how can we translate field lessons to policy action

5. Farm household level
 Smallholder farming households. Impact
evaluation research issues include:
 Crop & livestock mix, production efficiency
 Household livelihood capitals – human, social,
natural, physical, & financial
 Household economic goals – sufficiency,
resilience, sustainability
 Crops & livestock,
processed & unprocessed
 Labor, agricultural & non-
agricultural
 Political & institutional
demands
 Agricultural inputs, labor
 Farming advice
 Marketing services
 Credit
 Public incentives &
disincentives
Community, markets, farmers groups
 Input traders, output traders, processors, &
other commodity value chain actors
 Other farmers; farmers organizations
 Agricultural & financial service providers –
public & private
 Information, agric & market
 Regulations on market &
resource use
 Infrastructure
 Other public goods & services
Institutional actors
 Public service providers – MAAIF, NAADS,
NARO (ZARDIs), market information
 Local governments
 Market institutions – trader, transporter
associations
Agricultural development
program context
Project outline
Activity 1.1: Plot-level
agronomic &
household economic
evaluation studies
Activity 1.2: Market &
value-chain
evaluation studies
Activity 1.3:
Institutional
evaluation studies at
local & national
OUTPUTS (2-4):
2. Zonal Investment Plans
3. Agric Policy improvement
4. HR Capacity Improvement
Activity 1.4: Multi-
level analysis &
research synthesis
Capacity
Strengthening
 Political & institutional
demands
Collective learning for
policy action
Policy communications
and stakeholder meetings
to justify prioritizing
public and private
investment plans for
agriculture
OUTCOME:
Effective policy action
for sustainable
intensification

6. Organisation
Agricultural Sector
Working Group
Top Policy
ManagementTechnical
Committee
PASIC Management Committee:
MAAIF, IITA, IFPRI, EPRC
DCPM
Director-
ate of
Animal
Resources
Directorate of
Agricultural
Support Services
Infrastructure &
Water for
Agricultural
Production
Agricultural
Policy & Planning
Agribusiness &
sustainable
markets
Director-
ate of
Fisheries
Resource
s
Finance & Administration, Internal Audit,
Public Procurement & Disposal
PASIC
EKN
Advocacy
partners
MAAIF
part of GoU and linked to other ministries
PASIC project
financial flows
EPRC IFPRI
IITA
Farmer
organizations
Extension actors
Private sector
Directorate of
Crop Resources

7. Outputs
Output 1
Evidence on key constraints and opportunities for
intensification of two cropping systems
gathered and communicated
Output 2
Zonal investment plans are prepared and owned by key
stakeholders
Output 3
Action initiated for the removal of bottlenecks in national
policies relevant to agricultural intensification
Output 4
Capacity strengthened of MAAIF and its partners to undertake
evidence-based policy action

8. Thank you