UOSPA is governed by seven members Board of Directors (BoD) of which 30% must be women. The BODs are democratically elected after every three years during the organization’s Annual General Meeting (AGM). The BoD is responsible for the overall policy guidance and directions related to all aspect of UOSPA and they meet quarterly to review financial and project implementations progress. The day to day coordination of the project implementation and staff management is done by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) based at Coordination office in Kampala. UOSPA has 21 frontline Extension Field Staff, two regional field supervisors and an M&E Officer. The field officers have minimum qualification of degree in Agricultural related discipline while the supervisors and M&E officers have minimum qualification of Master in Agriculture related fields. Field activity is monitored and backstopped by the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Officer based at the regional office in Lira, There is an Account Manager based at coordination office in Kampala being support by two Account Assistants based in the field office in Lira and Soroti Districts.
Is to make Uganda self-reliance in edible vegetable production and consumption.
Is to increasing the smallholder members’ income, food and nutrition security
To organise farmers into Higher Level Farmer Organization (HLFOs) and both miller and Farmer members into ‘bankable’ institutions
During the period from October 1995 to date.
Uganda Oil Seed Producers and Processors Association (UOSPA) with financial support from various development partners successfully implemented projects from 1996 uptodate
carried out Institutional Development and strengthening through mobilization and sensitization of farmers to form groups around oilseed crop production, processing and marketing. Implementation of extension outreach on oilseed crop agronomy, postharvest handling and marketing, introduction and demonstration of oilseed crop improved technologies in groups, and infrastructure improvement (rehabilitation of community feeder roads to enhance marketing) in Lango sub-region . Achievement recorded • Formed 947 farmer groups to produce sunflower and soyabeans • Trained 27,000 farmers in oilseed crop agronomy, post-harvest and marketing • Improved yields from 150kg per acre in 1995 to 400kg per acres by 1999 • Increased annual sunflower production from 5,000mt in 1995 to 45,000mt in 2006
Implemented training of oilseed crop farming groups/households in oilseed crop value addition through distribution of mechanical ram presses to benefiting groups. This was a strategy to promote oilseed crop production in community and newly formed groups as means to increase household oilseed processing and consumption. Farmer groups were mobilized and trained on improved planting seed multiplication and distribution. This promotional activity was to flash out local sunflower crop varieties produced by farmer in the project area. Achievement recorded • Contributed to increase per capita consumption of vegetable oilseed from 2.7kg in 2000 to 4.6kg by 2006 • 27,000 farmers adopted production of improved sunflower variety, and local varieties like shiny black and white was flashed out of production • Produced 120mt of improved planting seeds that was distributed to farmers • Attracted investment in oilseed processing from one oil mill to 29 oil mills by 2006
Implemented farmer group trainings on household value addition using motorized expellers, carried out mobilization of farmers to implement group revolving funds program through oilseed production and marketing, Trained the benefiting farmers to increase their oilseed crop productivity through; integration of apiary and sunflower production through training in bee keeping and distribution of 175 modern bee hive to three piloting groups in Apac, Kumi and Pader. Achievement recorded • Diversification of benefiting households enterprise; sunflower crop, livestock rearing, bee keeping • Increased income of benefiting household from Ushs150,000 from an acre to 300,000shs per acres • Increased household sunflower yield from 500kg/acre to 600kg per acre
Carried out the oilseed sub-sector scoping mission to establish gaps and opportunities in the sector and develop strategy for the sector development code named ‘weaving the oilseed crop’.Implemented HIV/AIDS and Gender mainstreaming; staff capacity building in HIV/AIDS and Gender mainstreaming in development projects, HIV/AIDS and Gender workplace policy development and piloted development of 150 UOSPA groups into business clusters. Achievement recorded • Competence built for Twenty five UOSPA staff and Nine Board Directors on HIV/AIDS internal and external mainstreaming in development project • Strong linkages were built between UOSPA and HIV/AIDS organization working within the UOSPA project areas • 4,500 farmers trained in nutrition and HIV/AIDS basic knowledge • HIV workplace policy for UOSPA developed and is operational
UOSPA implemented two consecutive projects; ‘Enhancing oils seed production and productivity of 4,500 farmers in 16 districts of Eastern and Northern region of Uganda’ and ‘Hosting of Oilseed Centre of Excellence project’ respectively: 150 farmer groups were trained in skills and knowledge in sunflower hybrid seed multiplication techniques and contracting them to multiply planting sunflower seeds. This resulted into production of 300 tons of sunflower seeds in 2017 from 5 tons in year 2000, increasing accessibility of farmers to quality planting seeds at affordable price and reducing importation of hybrid seeds from outside countries from 95% in 2007 to 70% in year 2016. Carried out training on farm demonstration of new technologies. Implementation of oilseed crops quality assurance and standards awareness activity both at group and mill level. Achievement recorded • Established quality assurance mini-Laboratory in Lira town to improve quality of sunflower seed supplied to the market – used the facility to train 4,500 farmers in aflatoxin testing and awareness • Trained 3,970 farmers in Sanitary & phytosanitary aspects, food quality and safety, post- harvest handling and marketing • Trained 60 farmer groups in seed multiplication techniques and multiplied 24mt of Sesun 1H & 2H hybrid sunflower seed- Uganda Variety being bred by NASARRI • Facilitated certification of two oil millers • Reduce post harvest losses at mill from 8% to 5% and at farm from 25% to 15%