NWOYA– Rice Processing plant acquired under Nwoya Cassava and Rice grower’s Cooperative Society Limited has given morale to small-scale farmers who will now add value to their produce.
The farmers have been selling their rice to the middlemen who had been exploiting them, but now the rice farmers can add value to their products for better prices.
The farmers’ main enterprises are rice, maize, and cassava growing, mainly grown to ensure food security of the households.
Norah Akori, who has been growing rice for eight years says she has suffered in the hands of the middlemen who always bought her rice at a giveaway price just because she could not add value.
“It has not been easy over the years, failure to add value to any product is always a setback in any business,’’ Akori says.
She said last year alone she was able to sell her processed rice at a much higher price compared to what she used to get when she was not able to add value.
“I got Shs three million when I added value since I was also able to sell the rice bran to poultry farmers,’’ she said.
Chairperson of the cooperative Alfred Ocan, lauded the government for the support, adding that their production keeps on increasing every day.
The Initiative was in partnership with Agriculture Cluster Development Project [ACDP] which is financed by World Bank.
“The processing plant started its operation last year, but it is this year that we are utilizing it to the full capacity since it has also been an eye-opener for us to have high production,’’ he said.
Immediately after the processing plant was installed we mobilized the cooperators for massive production and to date we are all achieving our goals, he said
Ocan says, at the moment each cooperator after adding value sells to the market, even though plans are underway to have uniform bulking and marketing.
“Already we are working with our bulky buyer in Kenya. We are done with the assessment and at the moment we are focusing on high-quality products,’’ he said.
“Other cooperators outside our cooperative are also encouraged to bring their rice for processing since we are all in business to grow.”
The District Commercial officer Kenneth Kitara noted that organised farmers are always helped when government funding is availed to the district.
“We trained them in areas of governance, record keeping, storage of what is produced, and value addition since it’s the way to go in any business venture,’’ he said.
Other cooperatives are also learning from those that have prospered and we believe soon Nwoya will be the food basket for the region.
Many have also embraced mechanized agriculture as opposed to peasant farming just because they are under a cooperative.
Others are also being encouraged to write proposals that can help them to benefit from Operation Wealth Creation [OWC].
https://thecooperator.news/nwoya-rice-farmers-hit-by-falling-prices/
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