The focus of this 56th State of the Nation (STON) Platform was on the future of agriculture in Uganda and in particular the role of the military in implementation of NAADS. The government, academic, technical, civil society and private sector participants were brought together in this dialogue to engage in open and honest discussions about transformation of the agriculture sector. The overall objective of the 56th STON was to create a common understanding of critical challenges to NAADS and the role of UPDF in addressing some of the issues that have undermined the effectiveness of the programme. The objectives of the 56th STON were 1. To encourage a deeper understanding of NAADS in transforming the agricultural sector in Uganda from the point of view of technical leaders, political leaders, farmers, the private sector and the NAADS Secretariat. 2. To perceive the significance of the recent interventions and current strategies undertaken at the national and district levels to improve the agricultural sector, particularly the future of NAADS and UPDF involvement, and whether strategies are clearly understood by the citizens. 3. To provide an opportunity for political leaders and key stakeholders to understand the new structure of NAADS including the working relationships between academia, government and civil society organizations in transforming the NAADS programme.
