The production sector is comprised of five sectors namely: Agriculture, Veterinary Services, Fisheries, Entomology as well as Trade and Industry. The department also ensures that appropriate institutional linkages are maintained with all relevant sector agencies; comprising mostly crop, livestock, fisheries, forestry and industrial research, marketing organizations, NGOs and CBOs engaged in agricultural activities

Agriculture is the major economic activity in Buikwe district. The majority of farmers are small holders who grow both perennial and annual crops. The perennial crops include Banana, Coffee, and Tea, while the annuals include maize, sweet potatoes, beans, cassava and groundnuts. However 80% of Buikwe is agricultural based characterized as subsistence production.  Commercial agriculture exists with big farmers like SCOUL sugarcane estates and Kasaku Tea estates. Commercial farming is characterized by use of migrant labor from West Nile living in labor camps characterized by poor housing, sanitation and with little pay.

To date, high value crops like vanilla have boosted and replaced the declining volumes of coffee.  More farmers have however replanted the coffee crop, since vanilla’s prices have tremendously declined. Subsistence agriculture is characterized by low acreage due to increasing family sizes and slicing of land, low productivity per unit acre arising from deteriorating soil fertility over cultivation and soil erosion. The females provide most labor and yet the men take most of the biggest share of farm proceeds.

The annual crops are mostly grown for home consumption.

• Number of Households involved in Agriculture: 61,486

Ratio of Agriculture Extension workers to farmers: 10,248 (without ASP’s under NAADS) and 3,416 (with ASP’s under NAADS)