 |
Soroti is all praises for NAADS
By James Ekweu
Famine was a regular guest. Biting poverty hit hard and malnourished big-bellied children were a common sight. That was in 1992-94.
Five years down the road, the reverse is true. The National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) has seen her beneficiaries who were once gloomy faced in Soroti district smiling.
Charles Aben, the district NAADS co-ordinator, says, “Since its inception five years ago, NAADS has organised and empowered farmers.”
Aben said a total of 1,200 well-organised farmer groups have been founded in 14 sub-counties of the programme’s operation in the district. These he says have organised structures that monitor and evaluate activities of service providers from community, parish and sub-county levels.
“NAADS has managed to build farmers institutions and inculcated a sense of ownership in the stake holders through its key principles of empowerment, decentralised implementation, commercialisation and popular participation,” he said.
He adds that technology development has been key with local farmers now able to multiply foundation technologies such as improved seeds and planting materials, improved livestock and add value to various products. Farmers have also been able to form higher-level farmer organisations/associations for bulk production and marketing.
“The latest of our success NAADS stories is the Teso Tropical Fruit Growers Association (TEFGA). We recently linked them to an industrialist – JAKANA Foods and they signed a memorandum of understanding recently to supply oranges for processing into juice,” Aben said.
Gaudesius Opio, the chairperson of TEFGA says, “We are going to supply 50 tonnes weekly (600 metric tons annually) to JAKANA Foods. This will now stop middlemen from taking our oranges at very low prices.”
Opio a retired engineer says the association came into being in 1999 to mobilise citrus growers in Teso to produce and market oranges.
Farmers have whole-heartedly taken on this enterprise and in Arapai sub-county, a women group, Odudui women’s association chaired by Winnie Asege has planted more than 400 trees.
Robert Edimu of Arob Citrus farm, says a season’s sale from his farm earns him up to sh30m, Nearly 700 acres of citrus have been established in the district and more are still being planted.
Atiira Farmers forum now four years old has gained tremendously from NAADS.
The chairperson of the group, Sam Apegu says they have been getting on progressively and that the forum has been able to contract six service providers to offer consultancy to the farmers.
The Gweri Dairy Farmer Association has emerged through NAADS in Gweri sub-county to produce milk commercially and market it collectively. The association’s boss, John Aleuro says Gweri has a membership of 175 from 28 households.
George William Omuge, the district chief administrative officer, says the district has been on the lead in the implementation of NAADS activities and with good leadership, the sky is the limit for district. |
ADVERTISERS
* Sasakawa Global
* Hotel Africana
* Cooper Motors
* Natural Honey
* Fairway Hotel
* Tracker (Uganda)
* NUCAFE
* Environment Alert
* Fac. of Agric. MUK
|
