Amolatar women farmers ask FAO for storage facilities, tractors

AMOLATAR– Members under the umbrella of Amot Farmers Association in Amolatar district have asked the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations [FAO] to provide them with storage facilities and tractors, saying the facilities would help them boost agricultural production.

They said if their request is considered, will motivate them to start venturing into commercial production and attract more people into commercial farming.   

“As farmers, we have acquired enough skills in commercial farming and we are ready to implement what we have learned,” said Margaret Akello, a member of the association.

“On behalf of members of our association, I want to request FAO, if they can build for us storage facilities and give us inputs, we can encourage many more people still trapped in subsistence farming, to join commercial farming,” she added.   

The farmers made the request days ago at Akwon Sub-county in Amolatar during the launch of FAO`s project dubbed Dimitra Clubs Approach in Uganda aimed at ending gender inequality, and hunger as well as ensuring quality food and food security in Uganda.

The deputy Chief administrative officer Amolatar district, Juliet Ayo Okwir advised women in the district to form groups to access Parish Development Model (PDM) funds as one of the ways to boost production and household incomes.

She said women are the most disadvantaged group in the community yet 70 percent of them participate in the production sector and work towards strengthening households’ income.

“Let us be together form groups to access PDM and have a strong voice to advocate in raising issues that affect us,” she added.

Okwir urged women also to embrace climate-smart agriculture so that they become productive and address shortage of food in their households.

Grace Mwange, the Dimitra specialist said there is a need to bring up more women in the country to benefit equally in agriculture.

https://thecooperator.news/fao-launches-project-to-enhance-gender-equality-in-amolatar/

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