The Government has, through the local government under the Local Economic Growth Support (LEGS) project, constructed coffee, maize and rice value-addition facilities in Ntoroko district.

The agro-processing facilities, which are located in Karugutu and Nombe sub-counties, were on Wednesday commissioned by local government minister Raphael Magyezi.

Magyezi was in the company of his junior minister Victoria Businge Rusoke, as well as a donors’ delegation from the Lives and Livelihoods Fund who are in Uganda for a field monitoring activity on selected LEGS project sites in Toro region.

He challenged farmers in the area to double their production now that the Government has empowered them.

He noted that the establishment of the agro-processing facilities will also increase household income for the farmers through value addition.

“The farmers here have been selling raw coffee at a very cheap price, but now that the Government has offered them an agro-processing factory, they will be able to dry, mill and process their produce,” Magyezi said.

(L-R) Minister Victoria Rusoke, MP Anna Tumwine of Ntoroko and Minister Raphael Magyezi during the commissioning of Nombe coffee factory

He added that as a government, all is being done to make sure that farmers fetch better prices for their produce through value addition.

“As government, our focus is that instead of exporting our farm produce as raw material, let farmers be empowered to sell already processed products” he said.

Rusoke said the purpose of constructing value agro-processing facilities is to ensure that farmers produce better quality standard produce.

“The key goal of the LEGS programme is to transform livelihoods through increased production and local economic development,” Rusoke said.

LEGS project co-ordinator Eng. Paul Kasule said their target is to propel local governments to become engines of economic growth

“We want the districts to change from just being administrative units to engines of economic growth that is why we are supporting them to propel production in their localities” Kasule said.

Dream come true

To the Ntoroko district farmers, the construction of the agro-processing facilities is a dream come true.

Biira Mary, a farmer in Itojo Karugutu sub-cunty said the agro-processing plant has inspired them to double their production since they will now be selling at a higher price after adding value to their maize.

Chris Masereka, another farmer, is optimistic that the agro-processing facilities will greatly contribute to the local economic growth of the district since they only have been cheaply exporting their produce as raw materials to other districts.

John Kule, another farmer in Nombe Sub County said that the establishment of the agro-processing facilities has opened business opportunities in the area, created job opportunities as well as a competitive spirit among farmers.

Lives and Livelihoods Fund head of the delegation James Carty said the LEGS project has made impressive progress for the beneficiaries.