PDM: Lango farmers urged to take up modern farming
DOKOLO– Farmers in the Lango Sub-region have been encouraged to get involved in exotic livestock rearing, fish farming and other enterprises under Parish Development Model [PDM] if they are to fight abject poverty in their households.
Under PDM the government wants to ensure farmers take up agricultural enterprises like; coffee, cotton, cocoa, cassava, tea, vegetable oils, maize, rice, sugarcane, and fish.
Others are dairy products, beef, bananas, beans, avocado, shea nuts, cashew nuts and macadamia.
Government thinks the identified commodities will help at least 68 percent of Ugandans improve their livelihoods.
Dokolo North MP Ogwal Goli said farmers should be extensively guided and trained on the enterprise selection if the PDM is to eradicate household poverty in Lango Sub-region.
Several farmers across Lango Sub-region, according to Ogwal, are addicted to growing seasonal crops such as maize, soybeans, millet, sunflower and beans, which take only three months to mature but earn less money per harvest.
He encouraged farmers to add commercial livestock enterprises. “If we introduce cattle breeds that can weigh 500-100kgs, I strongly believe that we can kick out poverty,” Ogwal added.
Three ministers, Denis Hamson Obua in charge of sports, Charles Okello Engola, state for Labour and Betty Amongi, Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development backed by MPs days ago canvassed the area to sensitise political leaders and civil servants about the PDM.
Minister Obua warned the leaders against bringing politics into the PDM, saying everybody should speak one language for the success of the programme.
Minister Obua told residents that any sabotage by people with different political interests will be dangerous and would make people to still remain trapped in perpetual poverty.
PDM he said was initiated by NRM government to move Ugandans from subsistence to a money economy.
“If there is any political leader who is not in support of the PDM, then I will be tempted to believe that you are not a good leader,” Obua said.
“We must accept that it is very dangerous to live next to a poor neighbour because if he doesn’t have then he will be forced to come to you.”
Dokolo Woman MP Cecilia Ogwal applauded the idea of PDM as a uniform distribution of resources to the lowest social groups in the country.
She advised the government not to phase out other programmes such as Northern Uganda Social Action Fund [NUSAF] and Uganda Women entrepreneurs Programme [UWEP].
https://thecooperator.news/cooperatives-are-key-in-modern-farming-methods/
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