FCL`s contribution towards the Agricultural Finance Year book 2019
FRIENDS Consult LTD (FCL) being a key player actor in Agricultural Finance attended the launch of the 9th edition of the Agricultural Finance Year Book(AFYB), represented by the Business Manager Ms. Marion Akumu. For this edition, FCL contributed to Agricultural Finance Year book through an article from FCL Managing Director Mr. Andrew Obara titled “Will the Tier-4 regulatory framework boost Agricultural Finance” on page 34.
Background
The Agricultural Finance Year book (AFYB) has been in production since 2007 with the aim of informing the gaps in policy and information. The annual publication is intended to communicate policy messages on emerging agricultural finance issues, innovations in deepening agricultural finance, track investments in agricultural value chain to policymakers and stakeholders in a concise form.
Since 2016, the production and dissemination of the AFYB has not been possible, due to funding challenges, however, starting 2018/19, the Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC) revived the publication of the series. In line with its mission of fostering sustainable growth and development of the Ugandan economy by advancing the role of research in policy processes, EPRC shall launch the ninth edition AFYB.
Objective
The objective of the launch was to provide a platform for closer and meaningful engagement with various stakeholders to enhance sustainable financing for Uganda’s agroindustrialization agenda.
The key expected outcome of the AFYB launch include but are not limited to;
- Identify challenges and opportunities for deepening financing for agroindustrialization.
- Examine how existing models for financing agriculture can be enhanced and sustained.
- Identify action areas to support financing for agro-industrialization including key areas that require policy attention.
- Establish strong working relationships with various agricultural finance stakeholders with a view of fostering the role of research in economic growth in Uganda
Target Audience
The launch targeted various agricultural finance actors and organizations, drawn from the regions of the country. Participants were drawn from: Bank of Uganda, Credit Reference Bureau, Financial institutions, MAAIF, GIZ, Agricultural and Rural Finance Programme (AGRUFIN), Agribusiness Initiative Trust (aBi), SNV, MoPFED, Uganda Agribusiness Alliance, Donors, Local political leadership, local government technocrats, Friends Consult Ltd, CSBAG, Private Sector Foundation, USAID, MTIC, Makerere University etc.