Unite – Akello Tells Farmers

THE state minister in-charge of poverty eradication, Grace Akello, has urged farmers to form associations saying it is the only way they can be empowered to modernise agriculture and eradicate poverty, reports Fred Zziwa. Akello was recently addressing residents of Kayunga town during the inauguration of the Kayunga district farmers association. The function was held at Katikamu Social Centre. She said the Government's efforts to modernise agriculture had been affected by the high illiteracy level in the country. "Government wants to modernise agriculture but its efforts have been rendered fruitless because many of the agriculturalists are non educated," Akello said. She said the Government had planned to revive the tractor hire scheme to enable farmers to multiply their produce and pay for the tractor services. The president of the women's' committee of international federation of agricultural producers and central region's representative of the Uganda national farmers association, Victoria Kakooko Sebagereka, emphasised the need to extend the associations' activities to the grassroots, saying, it would help in ensuring food security in the country. Ends