Funding: UK MPs to lobby for Ugandan farmers

Apr 12, 2017

The MPs were led by Lord Cameron of Dillington-Ewen James Hanning and four other dignitaries.

PIC: Prof. Otim Nape (right) interacts with some of the UK MPs who visited farmers in Nakasongola. (Credit: Prossy Nandudu)

British MPs are to lobby their governments and donors for increased funding for agriculture activities in Uganda for the benefit of small holder farmers.

The members made the commitment through their head of delegation while touring small holder farmers under the Africa Innovations Institute (AfrII) who are adding value to cassava.

The farmers are being supported through AfrII by donors from UK and the government itself.

The MPs were led by Lord Cameron of Dillington-Ewen James Hanning and four other dignitaries from the UK Parliaments Science and Technology Committee.

The purpose of the visit, according to Lord Cameron, was to find out what can be done to help small-holder farmers earn from their production as opposed to producing food for feeding.

"When we go back we can encourage our government and donors to support projects of this nature so that we can create markets for the crops produced by farmers and then pulling farmers together to sell their products so they are financially able," he said.

While meeting some of the farmers in Kisalizi parish, farmers requested for machinery to help them dry their products to improve on the quality.

At the meeting, the chairman of the Africa Innovations Institute Prof. Otim Nape told the visiting team that farmers are faced with challenges such as lack of flush dryers to properly dry the cassava, quality seedlings, and lack of markets for some of the products.

 

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