Strengthening Uganda’s solar pump subsidy program: Key challenges and solutions

Kato, Edward; Ringler, Claudia; Kiguli, Geoffrey; Sentumbwe, George; Tiishekwa, Dennis; Nsereko, Abdul; and Alinaitwe, Jennifer. 2024. Strengthening Uganda’s solar pump subsidy program: Key challenges and solutions. IFPRI Blog. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://www.ifpri.org/blog/strengthening-ugandas-solar-pump-subsidy-program-key-challenges-and-solutions/

Despite rapidly increasing impacts of climate change, the adoption of irrigation technologies in Uganda remains limited, with no more than 2% of Ugandan farms irrigating any of their plots. To accelerate commercialization of agriculture and enhance the climate resilience of the country’s agri-food systems, the government of Uganda—through the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries, and with assistance from the World Bank—is implementing a subsidy program to help Ugandan farmers acquire solar pumps for small-scale irrigation.

Emerging research suggests that solar-powered irrigation, through removing variable costs for petrol or diesel, might result in unsustainable groundwater extraction. However, there is no evidence of this occurring in sub-Saharan Africa. Similarly, while studies indicate that women farmers can substantially benefit and often prefer solar-powered irrigation technologies, it remains unclear if they benefit equitably from subsidy programs supporting such technologies. A further question is if the subsidy program is a viable business model to reach smallholder farmers, who face a host of constraints to accessing advanced irrigation technologies in the region.

To better understand how these issues play out in Uganda, IFPRI, with support from the CGIAR Initiative on NEXUS Gains, is conducting a survey targeting both beneficiaries of the subsidy program and farmers who expressed interest in it but are either still waiting for it or have decided not to pursue the opportunity further.