Govt to trace, blacklist suppliers of fake inputs
The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) has come up with an input supply system that will trace and blacklist suppliers of fake inputs as a way of curbing corruption in the supply chain that has seen government lose billions of shillings.
Mr James Obbo, an official from the MAAIF, on Monday said they had embarked on developing an input traceability strategy to trace suppliers of substandard inputs to the farmers so that they are blacklisted.
Mr Obbo’s remarks were in response to issues raised by district leaders and senior production officers from the seven districts in Bukedi Sub-region during the National Agricultural Advisory Services (Naads) zonal review and planning meeting in Busia Town.
“Many suppliers contracted by the ministry, through the Naads programme, supply substandard inputs in form of heifers, fake chemicals, poor seedlings, equipment and planting materials and we cannot allow this to continue,” Mr Obbo said.
He added that the input traceability system will enable them trace the suppliers of such inputs to farmers and blacklist them such that they are not given any contracts in future.
Mr Fred Wakapisi, the Busia District production officer, said whereas heifers supplied under the Naads programme are supposed to be in-calf, many delivered by suppliers were not, while others have very low milk production.
Mr Robert Kiyini, an official from the Naads secretariat, said they were having challenges of suppliers switching the ear tags of selected animals, the reason some heifers are being delivered when they are not in-calf.
“The district veterinary officers are not doing enough to curb these fakes because we rely on their reports to effect payments to the suppliers.”
Ms Stella Imuktet, the acting Tororo District chairperson, said there was need for the relevant officers to assess and establish the capacity of farmers before deciding on who should get the animals.
“The animals given to some of the farmers have died because of lack of capacity; farmers should be assessed to establish their capacity to handle the animals,” Ms Imuktet suggested.
