KAMPALA – Speaker Rebecca Kadaga has said that the delivery of chicks to farmers has been punctuated with unnecessary delays, which is frustrating farmers.
This was during a Thursday, September 10, meeting via Zoom, an audio-visual online communication app,
“May I know why the farmers have not received the poultry because it has been many months now; the original plan was to supply the farmers in the areas of Kamuli district and then roll out to other districts, why have they not been supplied?” Kadaga, attending the meeting from her chambers asked.
Dr Johnson Nkuuhe, the NAGRIC board chairperson, promised to swiftly dispose of the matter.
“There is excess capacity [at the hatchery] in Entebbe; once we know how many chicks are needed, we can prepare and deliver; you do not have to worry about the supplies,” he said.
Dr Nkuuhe said 110,000 chicks will be delivered to the prepared farmers in Kamuli.
Speaker Kadaga also tasked the Kamuli District Production Officer, Dr Richard Musenero, to liaise with his counterparts in Busoga region and coordinate the preparedness of farmers to receive their share of the chicks.
“The responsibility of Dr Musenero is to liaise with other leaders and famers from the rest of the districts to get them prepared,” she said.
The Speaker promised to ease the team’s coordination and movements with a donation of vehicles, which she said will come in due course.
The Kamuli District Veterinary Officer, Dr James Kunya, had complained about difficulties in commuting to execute the various field assignments necessary to implement the project.
Dr Nkuuhe said the board, working together with the NAGRIC Ag. Executive Director, Peter Baine, would conclusively address the challenges facing farmers in the region and beyond.
He also decried a leadership vacuum brought about by the interdiction of the substantive Executive Director, Dr Charles Lagu, together with his deputy who had also assumed the responsibility in acting capacity.
The project, aimed at boosting agricultural productivity at NAGRIC will see the establishment of fish ponds, piggeries, freshian cows for milk and other livestock.
