Govt widens plan to mechanise agriculture

The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) has rolled out a plan to mechanise the agricultural sector through the provision of tractors to replace ox-ploughs used especially in rural areas.

“The tractors will be accessed by all farmers to increase land under cultivation within the parish and neighboring areas. This will significantly improve land under cultivation, increase production, timely service delivery and allow access to other agricultural mechanisation equipment,” Mr Frank Tumwebaze, the Minister of Agriculture, said.

Mr Tumwebaze made the remarks during the handover of a 75 horse power tractor to Wera Parish, Soroti District, in Kampala yesterday.

“As you are aware, there are less than 500 tractors available in the country, which are not enough to spur mechanisation and employment,” the minister said.

The available equipment is mostly owned by private companies in the agriculture industry.

Mr Musa Ecweru, the State minister for Works and Transport, who was present at the function, said this is the first of many more initiatives that will see Teso Sub-region adopt to commercial farming.

“We have been working with schools and advising that where they have any fallow acres, they can plant cassava and other crops so that when these crops mature, they can feed the school children but equally instead of parents sending food to school, they can grow for consumption and have surplus for commercialisation,” Mr  Ecweru said.

Fr Samuel Echelu, the Wera Parish priest and pastoral coordinator for Soroti Diocese, said: “We majorly use ox-ploughs in our fields and also digging with a hoe. This tractor is going to greatly reduce the time farmers spend preparing their fields while increasing the amount of produce per month, which is a good development.”

The tractor is estimated to serve about 300 farmers.

The minister also indicated plans to establish mechanisation centres in different regions to ease access to equipment like the tractors.

 “Government is also planning to set up zonal centres for mechanisation and irrigation. We have developed three and in this financial year, four other regional centres will be established in Kiryandongo, Mbarara, Arua and Hoima districts,” he said.

Mr Tumwebaze called on people with large pieces of land to use it for agriculture and take advantage of the Parish Development Model which is aimed at helping small holder farmers grow their agricultural produce.

The supervision and maintenance of the tractors falls under the district local government.

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