KAMPALA – The National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) and the Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) has commenced the distribution of planting materials to farmers under the government initiative to contribute to the transformation of the agricultural sector through the provision of agricultural inputs, agribusiness and value chain development for improved household food security and incomes.
The distribution of these planting inputs has already commenced in a number of districts including Mukono and Mpigi District – following the completion of the verification exercise for the seeds and seedlings.
Khadija Nakakande, the Head of Communication and Public Relations said the materials being distributed for the first planting season of 2022 include seed (maize, bean and sorghum) and vegetative planting materials (cassava, Irish potatoes, and bananas) specifically for promoting food security; as well as seedlings (citrus/oranges, mangoes, cashew nuts, apples) and pineapple suckers for the strategic commodities for improving household incomes.
She said that NAADS has prioritized crops with a greater impact on food security, household incomes and national export earnings and other commodities with potential for value addition.
“Government through NAADS, we have been distributing such planting materials to our farmers for purposes of boosting production and productivity,” Nakakande said, noting that the exercise is going on across the entire country.
“Each and every Ugandan is a beneficiary but also, it’s [NAADS] is a demand-driven programme. We get priorities from each and every district because they differ in terms of climate, soils among others.”
Nakakande told reporters that NAADS will also give out stocking/livestock materials of dairy heifers, pigs, poultry and poultry feeds, and fish & fish feeds.
On Tuesday, April 26, 2022, NAADS delivered up to 30,000 citrus and 160,000 mango seedlings to Mpigi District which were received by the district leadership.
Mpigi Deputy RDC, Rhoda Kagaaga urged farmers to take advantage of government programmes, noting that the mangoes and citrus seedlings given to them by the government through NAADS have the potential to boost their household incomes in a short period of time.
Mr. Emmanuel SSempala Kigozi, the deputy CAO of Mpigi District tipped farmers on proper management of their gardens as the new planting season begins. He urged them to always consult with the district and sub country technical staff including agricultural and production officers for advice.
On his part, James Patrick Sserwanda, Mpigi District Production and Marketing Officer said this financial year, the district has already received 8 tonnes of maize, 8 tonnes of bean seeds, and 6500 banana tissue seedlings and 1000 bugs of cassava plantings.
On the citrus and mango seedlings received on Tuesday, Sserwanda said “we are targeting around 412 farmers and for mangoes, we are targeting around 290 farmers.”
“Our role as the district is to verify, and then they are sent to the sub-counties,” he said, explaining that all the beneficiaries had already put in their demands
“We have farmers who are ready to receive these seedlings, they were pre-selected and we are targeting those real farmers who had applied.”
This website followed the planting inputs from district Kituntu and Nkozi Sub Counties where the seedlings were distributed to the different farmer and youth groups.
Mr Frank Tabbira, the Kituntu Sub County Agricultural Officer said the inputs were distributed to farmer groups under the Integrated Community Learning for Wealth Creation (ICOLEW), a government programme aimed at promoting community-level actions to reduce poverty in the districts in Mpigi. The two-year programme is being piloted in Namayingo and, Iganga districts.
He said the beneficiaries farmers are distributed through the sub-county including Magungu, Nkasi, Kasinde and Bukoma, all under the Nkasi parish.
Other inputs were distributed as far as Luwunga central, Luwunga Nteete, Bbula and Busagazi villages all under Luwanga parish.
Tabbira said the most citrus seedlings would be distributed to villages in Bukemba Parish.
In Nkozi Sub County, the seedlings were received by local authorities and were distributed to farmers in Ggolo, Bukunge, Muge, Bugeye, Kiguli and kitokolo villages.
