West Nile leaders want tractors to improve production
The State Minister for Northern Uganda, Grace Kwiyocwiny explains how the cassava chippers work after they were delivered to farmers in Arua District on Wednesday. PHOTO BY PHOTO BY FELIX WAROM OKELLO.
Leaders and farmers in the West Nile sub-region, believe machinery can help improve their crop production as they explained to Felix Warom & Clement Aluma
Leaders in West Nile are demanding for provision of tractors to improve on production of food crops to avert hunger. Most farmers across the region are stuck to hoes that do little work. During the presidential campaigns, President Museveni handed over 10,000 hoes in Terego County, Arua District something that led to criticism of the Presidential pledge.
During handover of Presidential pledges of ox-ploughs, cassava chippers on Wednesday, the MP for Ayivu County in Arua District, Bernard Atiku, said: “Minister, I saw President Museveni give out 40 tractors in western Uganda but we need such here too because our people have land but are limited to hoes. Even we do not have diggers that could be used for digging valley dams that could be used for irrigation.”
The State Minister for Northern Uganda, Grace Kwiyocwiny, said there are plans to provide 56 tractors in Northern Uganda. “This will come through organised groups that should be able to have about 30 per cent of funds in their accounts which money will be used for maintenance of the tractors,” she said.
The MP for Lower Madi, Ismail Ogama, said production of food crops could only be possible by use of tractors and irrigation. He said the lower parts of Madi are vast with rich soils that need adequate use of technology for modern agriculture and commercialisation.
One of the farmers in Vurra County, Grace Wadiko, said: “A farmer with a hoe cannot compete with the one who hires a tractor to till his/her garden. There are few tractors which are even expensive to hire. So we strictly rely on hoes and sometimes ox-ploughs.”
The Private Secretary to the President on Youth Affairs, Alfred Thopacu, said the handing over of the cassava chippers and ox-ploughs was meant to have farmers increase on their production and get market opportunities for their products.
