Youth Agricultural Parks (YAP)
Uganda faces challenges with its rapidly growing population, especially concerning youth unemployment, despite the agricultural sector’s potential for job creation. Access to finance and resources for youth interested in agricultural production and value addition is limited due to various barriers including high collateral requirements and bureaucratic processes.
To address this, YOFCHAN aims to enhance youth investments in agriculture in Nwoya district. The project’s goal is to improve collaboration between youth and local government to access loans and services, as well as to enhance entrepreneurship capacity in agriculture through the agricultural park.
Currently,
There are two (2) YAPs on 60 acres in Nwoya district. They solve a number of issues for youth which include; Limited access to land through collaborative farming that is, 4 youth are able to farm on one acre of land among others.
Watermelon, Maize, sunflower and other vegetables are currently grown at the parks.
150+
Direct beneficiaries
1
Milling facility for value addition
300+
Indirect beneficiaries
1
Cold storage facility for vegetables
Current project
Enhance youth investments in agricultural production and value addition
Partner USAID/ Uganda Civil Society Strengthening Activity (CSSA)
Project Duration
July 2024 – July 2025
With support from USAID/CSSA, YOFCHAN has established more Youth Agricultural Parks in Nwoya district. YOFCHAN is implementing a project targeted to enhance youth investments in agricultural production and value addition through engaging the Nwoya district local government to provide 30% of the PDM loans to the youth and establish a value addition facility providing milling services for maize, millet and cassava and cold storage services for vegetables and the youth will sell collectively through YOFCHAN to fetch high prices for their products.
YOFCHAN will also establish a Youth Agri-Investment Fund to address the financial needs of youth and conduct trainings on entrepreneurship to increase youth entrepreneurship capacity hence enhance youth investments in agriculture.
Impact
Two (2) Youth Agricultural Parks have been established in Nwoya district to facilitate collaborative farming efforts and enhance access to services such as extension services, bulking facilities, irrigation, markets, value addition, quality input, and access to tractor services.
We are now working with more youth groups at the parks. An agri-investment fund is running where youth can get both agricultural input and cash loans.
Past projects
Enhancing Access to PDM Loans and Agriculture Services for Young Farmers in Nwoya District by September 2024.
Partner USAID/ Uganda Civil Society Strengthening Activity (CSSA)
Project Duration
2023 – 2024
With support from USAID/CSSA, YOFCHAN has established a Youth Agricultural Park in Nwoya district with farming blocks to facilitate collaborative farming efforts and leverage on numbers to enhance youth access to 30% PDM loans and services such as extension services, bulking facilities, irrigation, markets, value addition, quality input, and access to tractor services.
Impact
A Youth Agricultural Park was been established in Nwoya district to facilitate collaborative farming efforts and enhance access to services such as extension services, bulking facilities, irrigation, markets, value addition, quality input, and access to tractor services.
The youth group (75 youth) were able to grow and sell watermelon and maize. The profits were divided among the youth who also learnt modern agronomic practices.
Youth Inspiring Youth in Agriculture Initiative (YIYA)
Partner
Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FA0)
Project Duration
2 years (2017-2019)
A competitive process was used to identify and select the youth in agriculture across the country. We rolled out a call for applications, young people accessed the forms and applied through the district office or online through the website.
We screened the applications & shortlisted the selected youth, who were visited on their premises by a team of judges to validate their work. The final champions were taken through capacity building training on business support, mindset shift, value addition among other topics.
Impact
Five youth champions from the first cohort have been able to access a capital of more than USD 40,000, thanks to the linkages created by the initiative with UNDP and other support programs. We continue liking them to more financial support.
Young Farmers Champions Network 