Uganda to set up food reserve

By Ronald Kalyango

SInce the government silos under the Uganda produce marketing board became non-functional, farmers no longer have capacity to store food to guard against hunger. There were several regional food stores like Tororo, Kyazanga and others.

The food stores used to act as warehouses that enabled farmers to benefit from the warehouse receipt system. A few farmers’ organisations in Bushenyi and Kapchorwa have revived the system.

However, with the increasing food shortages in the countryside, the Government is developing a national food reserve to avoid future outbreaks of hunger, agriculture minister Hope Mwesigye said recently.

“We are still planning future interventions in case of any outbreaks. the national food reserve will either be in form of actual food or funds that will be used to purchase food,” she said during a field tour of the agricultural activities in Kabarole, Bundibugyo, Kasese and Kabale districts.

Mwesigye asked district leaders to develop by-laws which will encourage farmers to cultivate enough food for their families. While in Kabarole district, she was informed by the district chairperson, Michael Mugisa that the district leadership had developed an Agriculture development ordinance which is intended to boost food security.

According to Mugisa, the ordinance emphasises proper sanitation practices, income generating activities, disease control and food security.

“The leadership of the district are supposed to implement the ordinance in their respective villages, parishes and sub-counties,” Mugisa informed the minister.

Mwesigye asked for the copy of the ordinance and promised to distribute it to all the other districts for review and implementation.

Under the ordinance all homesteads are supposed to have granaries which will be used to store surplus food stuffs including maize, rice, millet, dried cassava, sweet potatoes, simsim and sorghum among others.

During a food security meeting in Soroti district early this month, the Teso sub-region district officials asked the government to revive food reserves at household levels and also stop licensing crude waragi (liquor) producers. They noted that many dealers had been licensed and as a result many people had abandoned farming, resulting into into famine.

The Kaberamaido district chairperson, Robert Engulu said : “People no longer want to work. They start drinking in the morning hours up to evening. there is no time dedicated for farming.” He was supported by the Kumi district chairperson, Ismael Orot who said in Kumi, they had drafted and started implementing by-laws that encourage homesteads to have enough food.

However, the Amuria district chairperson Julius Ochen said districts needed farming implements to open up land for agricultural production.

“The ratio of ox-ploughs to the households in the region is 1:15. With this ratio, how can farmers open up land and plant on time to catch up with the rains which are so erratic?” asked Ochen.

Musa Ecweru, the state minister for disaster preparedness, said distributing free food was not a solution to the hunger problem. He instead called for regular training of the farmers and distribution of planting materials to prepare for the coming planting season.

Henry Bagiire, state minister for agriculture emphasised the need for the local leaders to encourage people to have granaries which can be used to store cereals.

Bagiire said the National Agricultural Advisory Services extension workers should advise farmers on how to harvest water from their roofs.

He informed the gathering, among who were district production coordinators, that the National Agricultural Research Organisation scientists had mapped the country into agricultural zones.