Masaka City: PDM beneficiary households adopt high-density farming
MASAKA – At least 506 households in Masaka City have been mobilised to embrace high-density farming to fight poverty under the Parish Development Model [PDM] launched in early 2022.
High-density farming is known to boost crop yields without increasing the space required for planting and this suits farmers in urban settings where land is very much limited.
According to Sheila Akello, the Masaka City production officer who doubles as the PDM focal person, the 506 households were selected from the 25 parishes found in the divisions of Kimanya-Kabonera and Nyendo-Mukungwe.
According to her, there is hope that high-density farming will ultimately increase the net income of beneficiary households since they are engaged in commercial production.
Masaka City covers an estimated land area of about 89,554 acres holding 53,771 households with a total population of 211, 591 persons.
Akello said 22 PDM SACCOs were formed and each received Shs 25 million in the financial year 2022/2023 and this financial year they expect to get additional Shs 75mln each.
She explained that PDM beneficiaries subsisting in the city have established gardens for cereal crops and legumes, vegetables, fruits on their small pieces of land in their homes. Others, she said, have taken on poultry, piggery, rabbit, goat and dairy farming.
Masaka City mayor, Florence Namayanja said they have formulated guiding principles to promote integrated sustainable food production, processing, distribution, consumption and waste management.
She noted that many people in the city are dependent on local food systems that provide healthy and nutritious foodstuffs.
“Local food systems shorten the distance between food producers and consumers and I want to see that PDM farmer households with small pieces of land are closer to market opportunities,” she said.
In regard to this, she said the PDM beneficiaries have been empowered to establish on-farm stores, roadside food stalls and farmers’ market to do business.
Badru Kagga, a cassava grower in Nyendo-Mukungwe said he planted one acre of cassava which yielded good harvests but also sold cassava cuttings to make money.
Masaka city Health Inspector, Musa Mabeeri said the local food system has provided organic food to households since they don’t use fertilisers.
He said under high-density farming, waste food is fed to animals as some of the garbage is processed into briquettes for cooking, saving the trees that would have been cut for wood fuel.
https://thecooperator.news/nabbanja-urges-women-to-embrace-high-density-farming/
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