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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) is set to roll out the long-awaited mechanization of Agriculture program, across the country.
The agency has already procured and delivered 170 tractors to kick start the process of establishing Agriculture mechanization centres. Another process for the procurement of an additional 168 tractors for the same program is ongoing.
Hadijah Nakakande, the Head of Communications and Public Relations at the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) says the 170 tractors are in Namalere Mechanization Resource Centre where they were assembled upon arrival in the Country.
According to Nakakande, the equipment will be distributed next month across the nine producer sub-zones in Uganda, upon completion of the development of the Operational Guidelines for access and management.
Majority Ugandans are smallholder farmers who depend on family labour and hand hoes to plough their land with a total land size ranging from two to five acres every planting season.
Nakakande says the agency will roll out the program by training the tractor operators before distribution starts in order to change the farming trajectory of the country. She says some districts have already requested to be given some of the tractors even before procurement started.
According to the Agriculture Sector Strategic Plan (ASSP), the government plans to develop incentive schemes for the acquisition and maintenance of mechanization equipment in order to encourage private sector players to join the field.
The other plan is the purchase of 450 tractors for the Agriculture Mechanization Centre’s, rehabilitation and refurbishment of the Namalere Agricultural Mechanization Resource Centre, building capacity for technical training operators, mechanics, technicians and farmers.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) requires 160 billion Shillings to complete the mechanization of Agriculture and eliminate importation of fake mechanization implements.
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