Strengthening Uganda’s 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.