Govt fronts regional Expos for farmer mobilization as planting season sets in

The government has rolled out regional Expos targeting farmer education and mobilization as part of the strategies to empower the farming sector that employs more than 70 per cent of the country’s population.

The expos under the theme; High Production, High Productivity and High Profitability are meant to provide an open platform for presentations from senior agronomists, veterinary doctors and agro-inputs dealers to interact with the farming communities. This comes at a time when farmers in various parts of the country especially central and western regions are preparing their gardens for the second planting season which starts in September and ends in December.

The Prime Minister Ms Robinah Nabbanja is directly in charge of the farmer expos that have already been rolled out in eight districts of central Uganda.

“The farmer’s expos are in line with the Presidential directive where I was instructed to traverse the country in a mobilization strategy for the agriculture sector. We are bringing to the farmers expert farm knowledge, subsidized and certified agro-inputs and sensitization,” Ms Nabbanja said at one of the expos in Nakasongola District on September 2.

The farming sector is indeed encountering many challenges relating to unpredictable weather and changing climate, but we have the opportunity that have modern farming technology.

“The government has invested money in some modern technology including modern irrigation and alternative water sources such as dams. We are also helping the farmer to identify the adulterated and fake agro-inputs,” she said.

Ms Nabbanja also encouraged landlords to stop carrying out illegal evictions.

“President Museveni gave powers to the office of the RDC to stop any illegal land eviction. We should not have any illegal evictions. The Land Act is clear about the rights of both the landlords and Bibanja holders. The Bibanja holders have the right of ownership on their respective lands,” the Prime Minister told the leaders in the districts of Nakaseke, Luweero and Nakasongola.

In Nakaseke, Nakasongola Luweero, Mubende, Mityana, Kyankwanzi, Kiboga, Kassanda and Kiboga Districts where the OPM has already held the expo, the government delivered more than 30 motorcycles for the extension staff at the respective districts. Several districts had reported failure by some extension staff to reach out to the farmers.

“You have presented the challenge of lack of transport by the extension staff. Some of the staff had no transport means. The government has delivered the motorcycles. You must reach out to the farmers. I will continue with the spot farm visits to check on the farmers,” Nabbanja said while delivering some of the farm inputs and the motorcycles to the district officials.

Unlike many government-organized events, the farmers have been accessing inputs at subsidized costs.

Mr Alfred Ssesanga, a farmer at Kalagi Village in Kasangombe Sub County, Nakaseke District bought three hand hoes at Shs8,000 each. A hand hoe costs between Shs13,000 and Shs18,000 at the normal market price.

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