KAPELEBYONG – Famers in Kapelebyong district are in agony as agro-processing facilities established about six years ago by government under the Community Agricultural Infrastructure Improvement Programme-project 2 [CAIIP-II] lie idle.
Among the agro-processing facilities lying idle are the Shea Nut Processing Plant in Oditel trading centre, maize and rice hullers established in the sub-counties of Akoromit and Obalanga town councils.
The facilities established in the financial year 2016/2017, were meant to promote value addition, storage, and marketing of the farmers’ produce.
They were constructed when Kapelebyong district was still under Amuria district.
However, close to seven years down the road, the facilities have turned to be home to rodents.
Robert Olila, the LCI chairperson Ajeleik cell in Akoromit town council where rice and maize huller are located said that the facilities are currently closed.
He explained that the farmers expected the facility would promote value addition but they have never realised its benefit from the time it was established.
“The facility you are seeing there only worked for a short time after it was commissioned by the district officials,” Olila said.
According to Olila, the agro-processing facilities are lying idle and not helping the farmers add value to their grains.
Pascal Opiding, a farmer from Kapelebyong blamed the district officials for not training the beneficiaries on how to operate the agro-processing machines.
He explained that after receiving the processing machinery, the district failed to train or connect them to the market as promised.
Opiding stated that the machines have rusted after lying idle for a very long time without being used.
Benedict Ojok, the Kapelebyong district secretary for production and marketing blamed the non-functionality of the facilities on seasonal availability of grains, lack electricity and substantive employee to manage the processing facilities.
He added that lack of agricultural mechanisation equipment such tractors leads to farmers producing in low quantities, which he said, discourages value addition.
“Farmers in Kapelebyong district are still using rudimentary tools such as hand hoes which cannot help them produce enough grains needed by the facilities,” said Ojok.
According to Ojok, he will produce a comprehensive report which will be tabled before council to get solutions to the challenge of the idle facilities.
However, William Ejiet, the Kapelebyong district production and marketing officer said the district considering whether to let organised groups manage the idle facilities.
He urged farmers to embrace formation and join SACCOs, saying farmers can use SACCOs to embrace commercial farming, fight poverty and improve household incomes.
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