THE First Lady and Minister of State for Karamoja Affairs, Janet Museveni, has urged the people of Nakapiripirit to grow crops and stop relying on food relief.
Mrs. Museveni, accompanied by the Nakapiripirit Woman MP, Rose Iryama, and the RDC, Andrew Napajja, was inspecting cassava gardens in Kakomongole and Namalu sub-counties on November 5 and 6.
The gardens are supported by the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agricultural Organisation through ACTED.
While touring a 130-acre-drought-resistant plantation for five farmer groups, Mrs. Museveni asked them to use the garden as an example to the community, showing that it is possible to cultivate food crops in Karamoja.
She advised them to fence off the garden to avoid crop destruction by livestock.
The programme officer for Nakapiripirit WFP, Joyce Achom, said they had already opened up 230 acres of land for cassava and trained 150 members of the five farmer groups in agronomy.
She added that WFP had ploughed, provided tools, seeds and food for the workers, and the farmers’ role was to plant and weed the gardens.
Mrs. Museveni advised the farmers to save money in their SACCOs so as to create a loan fund to borrow from instead of borrowing from elsewhere.
She commended the Mandela Women’s Group for saving eight million shillings in their SACCO and donated two million shillings to boost their savings.
The First Lady said she was interested in the progress of the NAADS programme because it was the only Government programme that directly targeted improving household incomes, the basis for poverty eradication.
She, warned that the Government would prosecute officials who misappropriate public funds.
