Opportunities and constraints in developing forestry curriculum to meet farmers' needs under the Plan for Modernisation of Agriculture in Uganda

Abstract

Uganda's Plan for Modernisation of Agriculture includes the development of forestry as part of the natural resource management (NRM) strategy, increasing productivity of land and eradicating poverty. Uganda's extension service has undergone considerable change in the last decade: first it was under the line ministries, then it was decentralised to the districts and recently it was privatised falling under the National Agricultural Advisory Services. These changes have created challenges in developing forestry curricula that address farmers' needs in a broader perspective. This paper focuses on how forestry training has changed over the years in response to changes in government policy and stakeholders' needs. The shortcomings and opportunities in the present curriculum and the prospects for a more robust curriculum that will make graduates of forestry more versatile and competent to address forestry and NRM problems are discussed.