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Nabilatuk, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Karamoja sub region has received ten tractors to boost food production.
The tractors mobilized from Namalere Agriculture Research centre were on Saturday handed over to Nabuin Zonal Agricultural Research Institute in Nabilatuk district where the government intends to start a pilot study for mechanized agriculture.
The tractors will be kept at Nabuin agricultural research and development institute for three weeks as farmers hire them to open up farm lands before they are taken to other districts.
Frank Tumwebaze, the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries told URN that since it is rainy season, they have mobilized tractors from Namalere Agriculture Research centre to support farmers in Karamoja embark on mechanized agriculture.
Tumwebaze said the tractors will be rotating all over the nine districts of Karamoja to help farmers open up large farms lands to that will help to kick hunger out of Karamoja
He revealed that they have decided to start the program with Nabilatuk district where it is reported to have a high production of food then later shall be enrolled to other districts.
‘’we also plan to bring more small tractors to support farmers groups under Parish development model to boost their cultivation’’ Tumwebaze said.
Tumwebaze said the tractors will be returned to Namalere Agriculture Research centre after use and when the impact is created.
Dr. Paul Okullo, the Director of Research at Nabuin Zonal Agricultural Research Institute said that they have come up with the system of tractor hire to enable the farmers practice commercial agriculture.
Dr. Okullo said that they are in discussions to design subsidized rates to ensure that farmers are able to hire the tractors and open up big acres of land cheaply.
According to Dr. Okullo, they have agreed to manage the tractor scheme as a unit for bigger intervention in order to create impact to the local communities.
Okullo said karamoja has a good land escape for mechanization and they will be training farmers into new ways of cultivations, especially using modern farming.
Esther Anyakun, the Woman Member of Parliament for Nakapiripirit district also doubles as minister of state for relief and disaster applauded the tractor scheme saying it has come at the right time.
Anyakun said due to persistent insecurity in the region, many of the communities lost oxen which were used for ploughing to cattle rustlers.
She adds that even the few farmers who have their oxen feared to use them for ploughing due to threats from the warriors and these would again contribute to low food production resulting in hunger.
Anyakun urged farmers to embrace the program saying these would help to boost food production in the households and address food insecurity.
Anyakun further appealed to Operation Wealth Creation to provide quality and quick maturing seeds to the farmers so that they can catch up with the current rains.
The first plantings for Karamoja begin in March-April , with second plantings of earlier maturing crops such as beans, sorghum and maize in the green belt areas of Nakapiripirit, Nabilatuk, Napak, Abim and Karenga district.
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