Press Parliament hard, Saleh tells farmers

Gen Salim Saleh addresses sub-county and parish chiefs and OWC coordinators last Friday at Ntare School in Mbarara District. Photo by Felix Ainebyoona

What you need to know:

Situation. Gen Saleh says the absence of laws is weakening the development of the sector

Mbarara.

The head of Operation Wealth Creation Programme, Gen Salim Saleh, has asked Ugandans to put pressure on Parliament to pass laws for the agriculture sector, saying the unexplained delays have crippled production.

Addressing sub-county and parish chiefs from the South Western Region about their roles and terms of reference in coffee production in Mbarara last Friday, Gen Saleh said “Parliament has sat on many bills for so long.”

Lack of relevant laws, he said, has failed development of the sector and most farmers are being cheated.

“The biggest challenge we have now is the agricultural laws that have overstayed in Parliament. If you can pressurise Parliament on the Coffee, Agriculture Extension, Consumer Protection and Fisheries Bill we can easily develop the sector ,” Gen Saleh said.

The laws, he said would save farmers from selling their produce at lower prices. He also advised farmers to refer to research made by institutions in the region to help boost production.

Gen Saleh blamed National Agriculture research Organisation (NARO) for failing to provide farmers with information on climate change that would help them to prepare very well for every planting season.

The National Environment Management Authority focal person for southwestern region, Mr Jeconious Musingwire, said from September to December the region will face Lanina, a condition of limited rainfall.

He urged farmers to use irrigation method during this period.
“We are getting less rainfall than before because of the continuous degradation of wetlands, forests and poor water catchment areas,” he said.