Uganda, Feb. 21 -- Scientists have appealed to the government to increase access to facilities for soil testing to enable farmers to understand the status of their soil for a successful transition from subsistence to commercial agriculture.

Prof Julius Zake, a soil scientist, said understanding the status of the soil will help farmers rehabilitate it with appropriate nutrients to realise sustainable and increased production.

"It is absurd to start transforming into commercial agriculture without considering soil issues. It is as if we are saying, 'let us produce and sell more' without putting anything," Prof Zake said.

He added: "The government should have the ability to make the farmers access these facilities because there is no way ...