PAKWACH, February 23, 2024 – The First Deputy Director of Internal Security Organisation [ISO], Lt Gen. Taban Amin days ago commissioned 11 tractors in Packwach district, saying the mechanical tools are meant to boost commercial farming in the district blessed with fertile soils.
The tractors, 10 of them walking tractors, were donated to the district by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries [MAAIF] which has been distributing the tractors across the country to boost agricultural production.
While handing over the tractors at Pakwach district headquarters, Taban advised farmers in the district to embrace commercial farming to eradicate household poverty.
The army officer said giving tractors to farmers in cooperatives is important because it boosts large-scale production which he added falls under the first pillar of the Parish Development Model [PDM], which is; increased production, storage, processing and marketing.
“Government is doing a lot to ensure poverty is reduced at the community level but, people still believe in handouts with only about 45 percent of Ugandans population getting serious in agriculture sector,” Taban said.
On his part, the Resident District Commissioner Pakwach, Paul Eseru urged the farmers to use the tractors received for increased production if they are to fulfill pillar number one of the PDM, a government programme launch in February 2022, to fight poverty in poor households.
Eseru urged the farmers to form or join cooperatives if they want to develop fast, arguing that government finds it easy to work with organised groups than individual farmers.
He added: “The tractors given are not meant for individual farmers but must support all the farmers in the district to increase production and eradicate poverty through commercial farming.”
The Deputy Chief Administrative Officer of Pakwach district, Stephen Odama urged farmers’ groups in the sub-counties to take advantage of the tractors to increase agricultural production. Farmers are expected to pay up to Shs 80,000 per acre for the tractor services.
Odama said large-scale production, if embraced, would help farmers to earn more money from farming. “We should prepare our farmers to produce for the market, if they can produce bulky products then they will earn more money,” said Odama.
The District LCV Chairman Pakwach, Robert Omito Steen said there is need to solve land wrangles in the district to facilitate large scale protection. He said the land wrangles are between Jonam and Acholi people.
He said MAAIF two years back donated tractors to groups where Dei Area cooperative Society, and Abongo Cooperative Society benefited. He other farmers’ groups to keep hiring tractors to increase production, saying government plans to provide more tractors to the sub-counties in Packwach district.
However, one of the farmers in Wadelai Sub-county Aldo Omika said the number of tractors in Packwach district is still low, making it hard for some of the farmers to open their land in time for the new planting season.
He added: “Farming will not yield any good fruits in the district because the district still has very few tractors which are being overwhelmed by the committed farmers hurrying to beat the season.”
https://thecooperator.news/govt-offers-tractors-to-farmers-in-alebtong-district/
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