The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Farmers in Gulu district are yet to embrace the Electronic Voucher Management System (EVMS).
The system was launched in January by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animals Industries and Fisheries to distribute agro-inputs to farmers through accredited dealers.
This is part of the 150,000 USD five year World Bank-funded Agricultural Cluster Development Project (ACDP) through MAAIF launched in 2017 to increase production and productivity of agricultural commodities and enterprises, increase access to critical farm inputs.
Among other benefits are access to markets and value addition and strengthen the equality of agricultural commodities and strengthen the agricultural services institutions.
However, records from the ACDP Gulu cluster indicate that only 700 farmers out of the expected 5,000 have enrolled and benefited from the program.
Geoffrey Anywar, the ACDP Coordinator for Gulu says that very few farmers have embraced the technology this season yet it is a safeguard against fake agro-inputs and also seeks to increase crop productivity.
Through the EVMS a farmer is required to have a national identity card and subscribe through a registered mobile phone number and pay 148,500 shillings to receive 30 kilograms of rice seeds of any variety and a tarpaulin for seeds drying.
Anywar explained that the project has only been able to give out 2.5 tons of rice this first planting season arguing that it is quite below the expected target.
Among the beneficiaries are farmers under West Acholi Cooperative Union and Latyeng Farmers Group which comprises of over 500 farmers.
Anywar disclosed that farmers can register both in groups and individually.
However, Ben Ocan the Latyeng Farmers Group Chairperson says that farmers have lost morale to farming due to low market for their produce.
Jackson Oyugi, the Chairperson West Acholi Cooperative Union on the other hand blamed the low enrollment on information gaps between farmers and the project coordinators.
Florence Aceng, a farmer in Bungatira sub county says that she is unaware of the project.
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