The farmers argue that the idea of bankrolling each parish Savings, Credit Cooperatives Societies (SACCOs) with 30 million shillings to be used in addressing individual challenges of each of the benefiting individuals, is likely to cause less impact on the lives of farmers.
Robert Sande Mubiru, another farmer planted maize on five acres of land at Shillings 1.7 million. However, his garden has withered by the time our reporter visited the garden.
Alice Nannungi, the Masaka City Women Councilor representing Nyendo-Mukungwe demands that as the government commits funds to finance the PDM projects, it also makes deliberate interventions to secure markets and attractive prices for the produces that will be generated from the beneficiary groups.
Peter Loruk, a farmer in Panyangara sub county kotido district says although the armyworms haven’t destroyed anything yet, he’s worried of planting the only available seeds in the garden because the pest may destroy it yet he doesn’t have any reserve seeds.
As the price for a kilo of meat drops to 3,000 shillings in Nakasongola markets, Sam Kigula the LC 5 Chairperson of Nakasongola district has listed the most affected sub counties as Nabiswera, Lwabyata,Nakitoma and Lwampanga.
According to the guidelines, the Government contributes between 25% and 75% of the total cost of the irrigation equipment whereas the farmers contribute 25%-75% depending on the type of scheme they need to install.
Government has given the occupants a one-month ultimatum to vacate the 14,000 hectares that formally belonged Sango-Bay Sugar Estates Limited, to pave way for the expansion of the National Oil Palm Project-NOPP which is implemented under the Ministry of Agriculture.
Margret Lapaka, one of the affected farmers in Paicho Sub County says they are struggling to pay the extension workers in the District 5,000 shillings for each animal to get vaccinated.
Finance Minister, Matia Kasaijja, says the country is facing a problem of market for local goods, which has resulted in surplus yet farmers are ignoring calls for change. Some of the rejected products include milk, eggs, sugar and maize among others.
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) member states have finally endorsed the implementation roadmap for the IGAD transhumance protocol that will allow cross border pastoralism.
Parliament today unanimously rejected the proposal to deregister coffee farmers who fail to meet standards set by Government in regards to coffee growing.
The locals are seeking for compensation of Shs. 100.4M for their land measuring 197 acres in block A. The land was given for a 40 billion shillings European Union Aqua culture Project.
Bagiire explained that desert locusts have been sprayed with poisonous chemicals capable of causing complications and death in humans if they are consumed. He added that the country was food secure and therefore needless for the communities to eat desert locusts.
Alex Mutyaba, a farmer at Kapundo village, says he spotted the insects on one of the trees but they migrated the next day and only a few of them remained flying around the village. Mutyaba said they got worried that insects posed a danger to food crops.
Arnold Waiswa Ayazika, the NEMA director, Environmental Monitoring and Compliance says beyond the suppressing of the locusts, NEMA is interested in monitoring the potential impact of chemicals on water sources, food crops and or any other non-target organisms.
The Ministry of Agriculture has since passed out information warning the entire populace to stock enough food. However, the warning might have come in late as many people are likely to have already sold off a number of crops harvested in the recent farming season. Uganda last experienced a major locust invasion in 1961, with immense damage on crops which resulted in acute hunger.
Michael Lakony Amuru district LCV Chairperson says the roads that shall be rehabilitated include Pabo town council to Otoro kume, Parabongo to Guru-guru, Amoyo kuma to Bol Atero and Moroli to Pacilo.
The managers were dropped following an internal audit that was conducted in March 2019, which implicated them for conniving to embezzle more than Shillings 5.4 billion from both Oil Palm Uganda Limited and Bidco Uganda Limited. The Financial controllers in Oil Palm Uganda Limited and Bidco Uganda Limited were put on notice to refund the money prompting them to flee into hiding.
