LIRA – The Development Initiative for Northern Uganda [DINU], a government of Uganda integrated programme has constructed five farmers’ village supermarkets in the Lango and Acholi sub-regions.
With support from the European Union [EU], the supermarkets are to help farmers under cooperatives and individual peasants to access quality and genuine inputs for planting according to Dr Alfred Kumakech of Ngetta Zonal Agriculture Research and Development Institute [ZARDI.]
Dr Kumakech, who is a Research Officer at Ngetta Zonal Agriculture Research and Development Institute [ZARDI] is the focal point person of the project.
Training, access to better markets and linking farmers to quality inputs will also be conducted in the supermarkets.
In Lango, the Cooperatives managing the supermarkets include Kica Arwot in Alebtong and Aber Commercial Farmers’ in Oyam while in Acholi, it is Wacpii in Pader, Nwoya Fruits Farmers and Twad Cooperative Societies in Gulu.
Dr Kumakech says, the project worth Euro 6.3m is being led by the National Agriculture Research Organization [NARO] through a consortium arrangement by the European Union and the government of Uganda under DINU.
Each supermarket [store] has the capacity to accommodate 550 matrix tons of produce according to Dr. Kumakech.
Training farmers on agronomy, post-harvest handling, demonstration of new technology, handling of pest and diseases are also the major areas to focus on in the supermarket to increase production and productivity.
Kumakech says, farmers have several challenges which affect production.
The challenges according to Dr. Kumakech include pest and disease, poor crop variety, limited access to information, access to quality seeds and lack of ready markets for their produce.
“Therefore, by this intervention, our target is to bring farmers together under cooperatives and have a market for the produce,” he says.
“We believe that through this approach, our farmers will chase poverty and hunger out of northern Uganda,” he says.
The Alebtong district LC5 Chairperson, David Kennedy Odongo applauded the government for the project saying, there had been challenges of poor harvest handling and soon it will become history.
https://thecooperator.news/lango-sub-region-mps-demand-reconstruction-of-roads-network/
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