Government Hails Musaazi

The government has described the late Ignatius Kangave Musaaze as the father of cooperatives, whose nationalistic traits brought a lot of positive changes in pre-independence Uganda.

Musaazi, who passed away in 1990 is one of only two national heroes buried at the Kololo national heroes’ cemetery and is widely acknowledged as the founding father of Uganda’s Independence Movement.

He is among other things credited with founding Uganda’s first national political party – the Uganda National Congress (UNC) from which sprung present-day Uganda People’s Congress in 1961, and the first trade union – Uganda Motor Drivers Association, which later metamorphosed into the Uganda Amalgamated Transport and General Workers Union. The two are credited for presenting the first organized challenge to the colonial administration.

In 2007, the Musaazi family with support from Government set up the 1.K Musaazi Foundation to help immortalize Musaazi’s memory, consequently starting the I.K.Musaazi memorial lecturers that have since 2016 become an annual calendar event jointly organized with the Uhuru Institute for Social Development.

This year, celebrations will involve a week-long set of activities that will start with thanks-giving prayers at Namirembe cathedral on Monday 30th September 2019, and conclude with a memorial lecture, a fundraising dinner and the launch of a book, “Musaazi and the Early Struggle for Freedom and Unity” by Prof. George Shepherd at the Uganda Museum on Saturday, 5th October 2019.

During the course of the week, there will also be engagements with Cooperative Society and labor Union leaders, a nationwide screening of the Musaazi Documentary on all Vision Group affiliate Television Stations, and the annual I.K.Musaazi memorial lecture that will be hosted alongside fundraising dinner on Friday, to be presided over by President Museveni.

Leonard Okello, the Chief Executive Officer of the Uhuru Institute for Social Development told theCooperator that funds raised from the dinner will be used to set up the I.K Musaazi Innovations Institute, to serve as a leadership and innovation think tank inculcating cooperatives ideology among workers and cooperators across the country.

Addressing the media on the week-long activities at the Uganda Media Center on Wednesday, second deputy Prime Minister in charge of the East African Community Affairs Hon. Kirunda Kivejinja applauded Musaazi, noting that despite hailing from a rich family and attending elite schools, Musazi identified with ordinary citizens and fought sectarianism.

‘Musaazi left the comfort of government employment to lead and attract educated Ugandans into the cooperative movement. He traveled around the countryside organizing peasants into cooperative groups at every parish,’ Kivenjinja said.

Besides forming the first trade union, Musazi also formed the Uganda African Farmers Union with the aim of aggregating farmers’ issues and advocating for them with one voice before the colonial authorities.

Elizabeth Musazi, the daughter of the late I.K Musazi said although the name of her father isn’t talked often, he is one of the first black nationalists who lit up the African struggle for self-rule, which led to the final decolonization of the continent.

Who is Ignatius Kangave Musazi?

Born on 8 August 1905 to a Gombolola chief in Timuna village near Wobulenzi, off present-day Kampala-Gulu highway, Musazi was the eldest of nine brothers and thirteen sisters. He attended Mengo Senior School and King’s College Budo for his secondary education, before traveling to England for further studies.

Despite his affluent upbringing and a desire to become a priest that saw him spend several years in a theology college, Musazi changed his mind for political activism, after learning from his West African colleagues that liberation for the African peasant could only be achieved on a political platform, and not in the pulpit.

He went on to organize Ugandan peasants and elites through cooperatives and trade unions, founding the Uganda National Congress (UNC) – the first truly Ugandan nationwide political party in 1952. He died on October 20, 1990.

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Government registers over 240 fishing cooperatives

From George Maponga in Masvingo: Government has registered over 240 fishing cooperatives here as it seeks to leverage on the province’s high dam density to improve household disposable incomes and grow the economy in line with President Mnangagwa’s vision to make Zimbabwe an upper-middle income economy by 2030.

Registration of the cooperatives is being done by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, which also offers training to members on how to efficiently run them.

The majority of the cooperatives were from Chivi and Masvingo districts, which have the highest number of dams in the province.

Most of the beneficiaries were women and youths, with a large percentage of the cooperatives eyeing the potentially lucrative fishing operations at Tugwi-Mukosi, which is the country’s largest inland dam.

Provincial development officer in the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Mr Joseph Mupinga said the registration of fishing cooperatives after training of members was aimed at boosting nutrition in rural communities while boosting their household incomes.

“We have so far registered north of 240 fishing cooperatives after training members on how to run cooperatives and the cooperatives are mostly concentrated in Chivi and Masvingo districts, with other districts such as Chiredzi and Gutu having a small share.”

“Most of the fishing cooperatives will be operating at Tugwi-Mukosi Dam in Chivi, and these cooperatives will undoubtedly boost food and nutrition security at house and community levels, and reduce poverty through opening avenues for improved income generation,” he said.

Mr Mupinga said fishing had the potential to transform lives of the rural populace across Masvingo, which has more than seven big dams.

The birth of fishing cooperatives was also a boon for employment creation, especially among youths as the ventures had potential to expand into big business, whose success will have positive spin-offs on the national economy.

Tugwi-Mukosi is the flagship of the commercial fishing ventures in Masvingo, with the dam being the nerve centre of Government’s Command Fisheries programme.

More than 200 000 fingerlings (young fish) were three years ago stocked in the dam for breeding purposes under Command Fisheries, with the exercise expected to be replicated in other dams dotted around Masvingo. (Source/ The Herald)

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Agriculture Input Handouts Encouraging Laziness among Farmers

Kampala, Uganda: A government program to give out free agricultural inputs including hand-held hoes will lead to laziness, says the Chairman West Nile Seed Multiplication Cooperative Society Uzelle Adam Mohammad during the Coop360 Leaders’ Orientation programme spearheaded by The Uhuru Institute for Social development last week at Kyoto spiritual Center Namugongo.

While the government argues that the plan will lessen the financial burden on the largely peasant farmers across the country, Uzelle said giving free inputs will encourage laziness among farmers.

He says the government should instead provide cheap credit to help farmers acquire heavy-duty agricultural machinery and input for commercial farming.

He was speaking at the Coop360 Leaders’ Orientation programme spearheaded by The Uhuru Institute for Social Development last week at Kyoto Spiritual Center, Namugongo.

“The government must stop offering cheap inputs like hand-held hoes that cannot improve the welfare of farmers but rather undermine efforts to mechanize the agricultural sector,” said Uzelle.

Adding, “We (farmers) have become beggars; we always wait for free things from the government, which is wrong,” Uzelle decried, “today, these hand hoes are being delivered by the president, is that one really normal? Something you can buy for just Shs10,000?” he questioned.

The government, in a bid to promote agricultural productivity, has provided support to smallholder farmers through the distribution of seedlings, ox-plough, hand-held hoes, and other farm inputs.

Relatedly, the Minister for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja at the 9th Joint Agricultural Sector Review (JASAR) held in Kampala last month revealed that the ministry would acquire and distribute 162 tractors, 200 lower mechanization equipment and 130 solar pumps.

This is in addition to 284 tractors and two earth moving equipment already procured by the government to be offered to farmers with the aim of, “unlocking systematic constraints affecting smallholder farmers,” Ssempijja said.

Several farmer groups have in the past called on the government to make available affordable credit for acquiring machinery. They also want the government to improve on monitoring of programs like Operation Wealth Creation to boost agricultural productivity.

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West Nile Cooperative Union decries delayed Compensation for war losses

Leaders of West Nile Cooperative Union Limited (WNCU) have asked that the government compensates them for property that the Union lost during the insurgency period between 1979 to 1986 war.

Tom Anguyo, the WNCU chairperson told thecooperator that during the tumultuous period between the overthrow of Idi Amin and later the 1981-86 war that saw the NRM come to power, the Union had its structures ruined, lost a fuel station, and several of its trucks. He said that since then, the Union has struggled to recover, and is now demanding compensation to the tune of Shs.1trillion.

Anguyo made the remarks on Friday, while addressing the State Minister of Investment and Privatization, Evelyn Anite, who was in Arua to preside over the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the leaders of WNCU and the officials of Gloveg – Agri, an agricultural extension services company at the union headquarters in Wandi trading center, Katrini sub-county, Arua district.

WNCU is the latest cooperative Union to decry delayed compensation for war losses suffered during the NRA/M bush-war. In April this year, theCooperator reported how over 10 cooperative unions were still demanding compensation accrued from the same war, amounting to over shs.162billion.

Anguyo said that WNCU had submitted its own request for compensation in 2007, but have yet to hear from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, twelve years later. He said that during that period, cooperatives from other regions like Bugisu have received their compensation, and wondered why those from West Nile had not been tended to.

Last month, the Ministry of Trade officials were summoned before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee over the same issue of delayed compensation for cooperatives. According to the Auditor General’s Report of 2017/2018, the government had allocated shs.2billion for compensations, yet no payments had so far been affected.

Responding to queries from MPs, the Ministry’s acting Permanent Secretary Grace Adong told the committee that the ministry was already processing requests for compensation from 22 cooperative unions, with 7 of those already endorsed for compensation while 17 remained under verification by the inter-ministerial verification committee. When contacted, the Ministry of Trade was reluctant to confirm whether WNCU was part of the already verified ones or those still under consideration.

But Anguyo says they’re running out of patience. “When you factor in inflation, our debt is now worth about shs.1trillion. Today, we are kindly requesting that our President hears our voice,” he pleaded to Anite.

Speaking after Anguyo, Anite said she was not aware that WNCU had a demand to be fulfilled by the government, but promised to follow it up now that it had been brought to her attention. “I believe that President Museveni is going to support this cooperative union and fulfill your compensation. Shs.1trillion is little money compared to what he has given out,” Anite said.

She applauded the cooperators for progressively heeding the President’s call to grow commercial food crops in addition to tobacco, noting that by doing so, they were insuring themselves against famine, and the dangers of over-relying on a single agricultural product. “The President has been moving in all the districts in West Nile asking you to diversify your farming. Thanks to you(WNCU), farmers are now growing commercial food crops, instead of Tobacco alone, ” Anite said.

She pledged to support the union and ensure that the government gives it tractors and trucks to boost the commercialization of food crop production.

The 30-year partnership with Agloveg-Agri is targeted to progressively shift the over 20,000 farmers affiliated to the union from the production of tobacco under the monopoly of the British American Tobacco (BAT) to growing food crops like Soya beans, sim-sim, sorghum, maize and groundnuts on a commercial scale. Under the partnership, Agloveg-Agri will be responsible for finding market both locally and internationally for the new food-crops in addition to training farmers in modern farming methods, and availing quality seeds and inputs like fertilizers to the farmers.

Joel Aita, the Managing Director of Gloveg-Agri said that based on results, they will in the near future also consider adding sunflower and chia on the list of crops to be planted by the farmers.

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Need a house? Try cooperative societies

Housing is one of the essential needs of man. But because the mortgage sub-sector is not virile, building a house can take a decade or two for some while for others, it could be longer. OKWY IROEGBU-CHIKEZIE writes on how a cooperative society can assist not only individuals but also organisations to build their homes or estates.

A cooperative is an association of people to achieve a common goal through contributions.

One strategy deployed by the average Nigerian in becoming a landlord is through joining a credible cooperative society – thrift and credit.

The purposes of cooperatives are diverse. However, generally, they tend to serve their members better.

Organisations have found it convenient to encourage their members to form cooperative societies. Blue chip companies, such as Shell, Chevron, and Nigerian National Petroleum Corportation (NNPC), have cooperative societies.

Others are professionals groups, such as Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), and their counterparts in insurance, banks, higher institutions. They have thriving cooperatives, which own upscale estates, which in most cases, participants wouldn’t have been able to build individually and these dot the cities, especially new areas.

Prime Assets Housing Cooperative Society Managing Director Mr. Gbadebo Adejana said cooperatives create an umbrella for people.

He said it is more prominent in the informal sector where artisans and others join one for the sake of necessity, knowing that it is the only way they can muster strength to access credit to buy land.

After passing the hurdle of purchase and ownership of land through the cooperative, a member will thereafter, access more funds to start its development and pay at by instalments, he explained.

According to him, cooperative associations have the advantage of accessing loans and can bulk purchase building materials, such as cement, iron rods, paints, roofing sheets and locks and keys.

He added that manufacturers prefer to deal with cooperatives when the issue of credit arises.

On the objectives of his cooperative, he said it assists people to access funds to build their houses. Others are providing people the opportunity to buy properties and reconstruct them for their use, providing a 10-20 year micro-mortgage scheme for members, including real estate and other investment opportunities, for members.

Adejana continued: “For Prime Assets Housing Cooperative Society to deliver on their promises and better serve members, we partner reputable individuals and organisations, particularly, micro-finance banks, developers, mortgage institutions, building material manufacturers, suppliers, professionals in the building industry and related government establishments and agencies.”

For Festus Onibanjo, chairman, Fesdap Properties, owners of “Be a landlord today’ Cooperative Society, the core mandate of his cooperative is to provide a well-researched and negotiated clusters of landed properties for his members can buy.

He said: “We also assist in developing them into mini-estates and providing other services as may be required. For example, access to mortgage facilities below the market rate building materials, etc. We provide opportunities for members to borrow for growth in their business operations through their well-structured and professional managed thrift in association with participating micro-finance banks.”

A cooperative expert, Mr Salako Idris said companies should encourage their workers to form cooperative societies, adding that it not only remove financial burdens from them, but that it also enable the companies to concentrate on their mandate.

He said virile cooperative cooperatives provide members the platform to borrow money.

According to him, the country’s housing gap cannot be bridged by the government only and that there was the need for private sector support, especially from the cooperative societies. ( Source / The Nation)

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Chinese Agency Boosts Budaka Rice Coop with Equipment

Budaka. Idudi Rice Farmers Cooperative Society has received an assortment of farm equipment, worth millions of shillings, from South to South Cooperation (SSC) a Chinese organisation.

The donation was handed over to the cooperative by Budaka Chairperson Sam Mulomi at the district headquarters.

The equipment comprised a walking tractor, a rice huller, a mold plough, a water pump, and engine oil.
The donation also included four bags of NPK, four bags of DAP fertilizer, another four bags of Urea and three bags of upland rice, as well as seed-planting machines and harvesters.

The South to South Cooperation (SSC) is a Chinese organisation working with the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF).

Idudi Farmers’ Cooperative Society was identified as one of the best organised and outstanding associations among dozens in the district.

Idudi Rice Farmers Cooperative was started in 2014 and has 750 registered members.

Mulomi urged the farmers to maintain the equipment in order to reap more from it. “You can only benefit from all these equipment and agricultural machinery if you establish an effective strategy of looking after them,” he said.

Mulomi also urged the office of the Chief Administrative Officer to ensure that the persons identified by the cooperative society to train as operators of the walking tractor and the rice huller are given adequate training so they are not mishandled.

Going forward, he said the farmers should not sit on the laurels and instead pick up from where they have reached to work harder in order to benefit from similar programs in the future.

Andrew Mulekwa, the district commercial officer, encouraged the farmers to save and reinvest so as to grow their society.

“Savings attitude is key for all of you as cooperative members so that you realise progress individually and collectively,” Mulekwa said.

Albert Kirya, a member of Idudi Rice Farmers Cooperative, said the donation would ease the management of their farms and also help them cut the cost of hiring expensive farm labour during planting, weeding and harvesting periods.

South to South Cooperation Project Phase II was a fall in the project following the successful implementation of the first phase in the country. Phase 1 was implemented in 2014 and phase II started in January 2016 to December 2017.

The project was nationally hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and was funded by the Chinese Government under Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) arrangements with counterpart funding by the government of Uganda.

Budaka District extension staff together with farmer’s representatives from sub-counties of Nasanga, Budaka Town Council, Budaka Sub County, Naboa Town Council, and Kamonkoli Town Council participated in a number of training and field demonstrations.

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Cotton Ginners Strive to End Middlemen Dilemma

Madi Okollo. Authorities in Madi-Okollo District in West Nile are working out a strategy to enhance financial benefits from cotton farming by eliminating middlemen.

The concerted strategy is being championed by Gulu Agricultural Development Company (GADC), a private entity running the cotton ginnery at Rhino Camp trading centre.

The development of the strategy follows an outcry from about 3,000 cotton farmers in the district. The farmers decried exploitation by the middlemen.

John Onenarach, the ginnery manager, said the firm recently recruited area coordinators who will work with field officers as buying agents to eliminate the middlemen.

“What we have done is to task all our coordinators and field officers to be our buying agents. We normally tell farmers that if they are ready, we can give them an option of organising themselves into a group, and we deliver the cotton directly to the ginnery at no extra cost,” Onenarach said.

The decision was taken after several farmers complained of middlemen buying their cotton at Shs1,200 per kilogram instead of the Shs1,500 offered at the ginnery.

Speaking to our reporter, Mustafa Aniku Ismail, a resident of Ndiova village in Rhino Camp sub-county, said it has become a habit for middlemen to flood villages yet their price offering is always an insult to the farmers.

“I planted two acres of cotton last season but later regretted why I sold my cotton to middlemen because they bought it at Sh1,300 per kilogram as opposed to Sh1,700 at the factory last season. My colleagues who sold their cotton directly to GADC made more money and this demoralised me so much,” said Aniku.

He said middlemen exploit farmers in need of quick money.

As middlemen hit and leave farmers feeling cheated, disillusionment sets in as they rue cotton farming for low returns. Most of them begin to look to other crops for hope.

“Most farmers have reduced their cotton acreage with others shifting to growing Simsim and cassava because they feel cheated. From the 1.5 acres of cotton I planted last season, I have come down to only one acre because I feel the money I’m getting from cotton alone will not be enough to pay my children’s school fees and also solve other problems,” Pius Lema, another farmer from Rigbo Sub County.

Alfred Mawa, the councilor representing Rhino Camp sub-county, said farmers have been grappling with the challenges for long, adding that time has come for the government to come in to regulate the operations of GADC and the middlemen.

Onenarach, the ginnery manager, said the middlemen quote their own price and come weighing scales. He said their move to train farmers and employ field coordinators as buying agents will remove the burden of the middlemen.

He said the field coordinators are currently visiting all the cotton-growing parishes in the WestNile region with the aim of talking to farmers’ cooperatives and groups.

“Through that channel, we are bringing services closer to farmers in terms of training. We are telling farmers through our area coordinators to try to avoid the middlemen who are luring them with quick cash and moving around with fake weighing scales,” said Onenarach.

Sale of seeds

Pius Lema, another farmer from Rigbo Sub County, said when GADC took over the ginnery in 2016, it gave farmers freed seeds and people worked hard to produce cotton.

However, the decision by the company to start selling seeds at Shs3,000 per kilogram has shocked farmers.

“At that time, GADC was giving cotton seeds for free and farmers were really making money but when they started selling the seeds, coupled with the coming of middlemen, things have turned bad for us,” Lema said.

GADC defended the decision to charge for the seeds, saying it is aimed at making farmers own cotton farming, pay more attention to their farms, and to encourage them to farm as a business.

Background

The Uganda Development Bank sold the ginnery to GADC in 2016, thus beginning a new lease of life for the Rhino Camp ginnery that had been dormant since early 2000.

Optimism has dramatically returned as the 40 gin machines have become operational once again, in the process providing over 120 direct job opportunities to the people during the cotton harvest and ginning period.

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She Is A Millionaire From Selling Eggs, A Humbling Testimony

Jeanne Nyirankurunziza, a mother of four in her forties, runs a poultry farm with over 700 chickens, some village in Gasabo District, an outskirt in Kigali City.

She also rears cows and grows cash crops such as maize and sorghum. She does a little bit of tubers as well, such as potatoes and cassava.

Her income accumulates every year. She now affords good schools for her children. They eat well and live a decent life.

This all began eight years ago when she chose to stop struggling with small investments from micro loans acquired from a village savings group.

The micro loans came in turns for each member after waiting for weeks. It was as small as Rwf100,000.

“I couldn’t invest in anything big with that money. I only stayed in a vicious cycle of poverty, and struggles,” she said.

She then thought of daring to apply for a bigger loan of Rwf1 million from a SACCO.

This was after several attempts to secure her husband’s blessings.

At first, her husband hesitated. He feared she would make losses and cause a disaster.

His fear hinged on an imagination of her failed business that would make the family plummet into poverty. Their house would be the collateral.

“I told my husband I wanted to do poultry farming, he first declined, saying “you might fail”

“As a mother who woke up at 4am every morning to go to the farm and plough while carrying a baby under the sun…you can’t do all that and prepare food for the children to eat on time,” she says.

“I wanted more for my family, so I had to convince my husband that joining a SACCO was the best thing for us as a family,” Nyirankurunziza adds.

He accepted. She applied and got the money.

She says today, after joining a SACOO, the difference is noticeable.

She has moved from Rwf1million to getting Rwf2 millions. It’s a better life she lives today.

“I have a caring maid who takes care of my children when am away. We get milk from the cows that the children drink…problems at home have reduced.”

Nyirankurunziza doesn’t have to wait for her husband to come home from work to provide.

It’s not necessary anymore.

Nyirankurunziza’s story mirrors Rwanda’s unique journey of financial inclusion.

Community savings and credit cooperatives have been a financial inclusion success story in the country.

These cooperatives, known as Umurenge SACCOs, have served millions of Rwandans particularly in the countryside.

More than 90% of Rwandans now live within a 5 km radius of a SACCO, according to John Rwangombwa, the Governor of the National Bank of Rwanda.

Rwangombwa said these are results of Rwanda’s deliberate efforts to deepen financial inclusion across the country.

In 2008, the Finscope survey indicated that only 48% of the Rwandan population was financially included, prompting the government to lay several strategies to fix the gap.

In 2009, a National Savings Mobilisation Strategy was launched with the goal to set up at least one SACCO at a the sector (village) level.

“Financial inclusion is a key channel for inclusive and sustainable growth,” he says.

“If you want to develop your population, the best thing to do is make sure they have access to financial services.”

During the just concluded global forum on financial inclusion held in Kigali, it was agreed that women and the static gender gap continues to be an important topic because countries are loosing out economically because of the untapped potential of women.

Dr Alfred Hannig, the Executive Director, Alliance for Financial Inclusion Management Unit, said that if countries continue ignoring the need to extend finacial service to women and youth, the world will continue experiencing economic burdens and poverty will remain rampant.

“Regulators need to actively include the needs of women in their work, if they are going to fulfil the commitment they made in the Denarau Action Plan and listen to the point made by the chair of the Gender Inclusive Finance Committee to ensure that no one is left behind,” he said.

In emphasis, Rwangombwa said that Rwanda has made a strong commitment and set a target of ensuring 100% financial inclusion by 2024.

“I assure you that gender inclusion will remain top on our agenda as we strive to bring all our citizens out of financial exclusion,” he said.

Nyirankurunziza is a living testimony of what comes out of putting money in the hands of a woman. Dividends. And more dividends.

Her smile as she collects eggs before sending them to clients is enough to explain the effects of financial inclusion. (Source/ Taarifa)

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Sebei Coop Farmers Frustrated by Erratic Weather

Kapchorwa: Extremely hot to rainy weather has meant prolonged delays of planting for farmers from the Sebei sub-region and yet the new season is already witnessing excessive rains.

In his 30 years of farming, William Chelengat says he has never been late planting maize like in the last three years.

“The farming communities no longer have enough compared to 15 years ago; these days when it rains, it sometimes falls too much, making the crops over-grow or not germinate,” says 75-year-old Chelengat.

“Yet when it shines, sometimes it goes on for a long time, withering the crops,” a demoralised Yusuf Muhamud Mudondo, the general manager at Kaserem Area Cooperative – KACE, said in an interview with theCooperator.

At KACE alone, Mudondo says farmers only managed 500 metric tonnes (MTs) of maize in the first season, far below the expected 700MTs, while those growing beans could only produce 140MTs instead of the usual 200MTs last year.

Coffee farmers were also not spared by the erratic weather and managed to harvest only 250MTs instead of the 300MTs in the same season last year.

There have been quite a few rainy weeks in Sebei since the second planting season started in August and it is getting in the way of farmers’ work.

The farmers and their leaders are wary of the erratic weather, which they fear could leave many struggling to make ends meet if the pattern continues.

Saida Chemongesi, a soya bean farmer, also a member of KACE farmers’ cooperative located in Kaserem, say the weather is delaying their second season planting, so even though some crops are in, they can’t do anything with them.

“I had prepared for harvesting this month but I am unable to do so because water has submerged most parts of my farm,” Chemonges said.

In 2016, heavy rains in the first quarter and prolonged sunshine also left several farmers counting losses, undermining food security in the country.

The Sebei sub-region, comprising savannah grassland and mountainous landform, is potentially very productive for growing crops such as coffee, beans, soybeans, maize, tomatoes, and Irish potatoes.

Meteorological Authority Speaks Out
The Uganda National Meteorological Authority (UNMA) says the situation might even get a little worse in the near future.

Festus Luboyera, the executive director of UNMA, told theCooperator that Sebei is one of the eight agricultural zones in Uganda which will experience above-normal rainfall in the months of September to December.

Luboyera added that those predicted to receive above-normal rainfall, exceeding the average amount received over the last 30 years, are Busoga, Bugisu, Teso, Lango, Bukedi, and Acholi, and Karamoja zones being the others

The meteorological agency is urging farmers to start early field preparations for early planting. He advised farmers to plant long maturing crops such as maize, cassava, coffee, and sweet potatoes at the start of the rainfall season this month – September.

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West Nile Vegetable Growers Reap big from Irrigation Schemes

Pakwach. A section of farmers in the West Nile region is already reaping from small scale irrigation schemes set up by the government to improve agricultural production and productivity.

Olama Farmers Group comprised of ten farmers is one such beneficiary. The group is growing vegetables and fruits under the Andibo irrigation scheme in Panyango Sub-County, Nebbi District.

Last season, the group planted watermelon on half an acre and fetched Shs4 million. After saving 30 percent for sustainability, operations and maintenance costs, the Olama Farmer Group members shared the balance among themselves. Each took home Shs300,000.

Group members attribute the bumper harvest to good agronomic practices and constant supply of water from the irrigation system constructed early this year by the Department of Water for Production under the Ministry of Water and Environment.

“In the first season, we planted tomatoes on a quarter of an acre at Andibo and it fetched us Shs2.3 million. I received Shs185,000 from the dividend and this money helped me to pay fees for my two children in secondary school,” Norbert Jamondo, a member of Dikre En Etego Saving and Credit Cooperative Group said.

The government adopted an irrigation policy last year. One of the strategies of implementation is the construction of small scale irrigation schemes. Under this program, the government plans to construct 70,000 small scale irrigation schemes countrywide to improve agricultural production.

The department of Water for Production says it has so far constructed 13 small scale irrigation systems in West Nile, Lango, and Acholi sub-regions.

Another 12 sites are currently under different stages of construction and additional funding of Shs12 billion has been allocated to construct 30 small scale irrigation systems in the north and west Nile region due to the overwhelming demand for irrigation expansion.

Henry Kizito, the principal engineer in charge of planning and quality assurance at the Ministry of Water and Environment, explained that the project’s overall objective is to provide water for agricultural production services.
“The community can use these services to transform their livelihood by getting more income from the farming activities they undertake using the water from the schemes,” Kizito said.

Andibo is one the pioneer irrigation system completed early this year and Ms. Agnes Akumu, just like Jamondo, cannot hide her happiness after a good harvest. “I used to get less than Shs30,000 as an individual but last month I earned Shs52,000 for the first time after our group harvested onions and sold it. I used the money to pay fees for my two children who are studying at Oluku Parents’ Primary School here in Atyak Sub-county,” said Akumu.

The former LC3 chairman of Atyak Sub-county, Nestorie Aberka, testifies that several rural households in the area are celebrating the bumper harvest of vegetables as a result of a stable source of water supply from the irrigation scheme.

“Our people have benefited a lot from this modern farming, and at least now they are sure of sustainable income because they can plant crops throughout the year and reap from it,” said Aberka.

Challenges
The number and size of the schemes in their current state cannot support all the farmers that require irrigation services for their crops. For instance, the Andibo scheme, which sits on 8.3 acres of land under irrigation, has only 16 plots. The scheme is benefiting 86 farmers yet there are over 30,000 farmers in Panyango Sub-county in need of irrigation systems.

The Ministry of Water and Environment has, however, downplayed this stressing challenge. Mr. Kizito said the projects were being extended not only in the region but the whole country.

“We cannot serve the farmers at once but we are doing it slowly. But also we know since this is serving as a demonstration, some farmers can learn from the schemes and have something to do at their respective areas,” Mr. Kizito said.

Mr. Edmond Okurmu, an agricultural officer for Panyango Sub-county in Pakwach says the project offers continuous training by experts. The training involves demonstrating irrigation technologies to farmers for adoption and water harvesting technologies.

The irrigation schemes target areas prone to prolonged drought due to climatic changes and human activities like tree cutting and overgrazing.

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