NAADS to be reviewed next year

Dec 22, 2009

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has announced that National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) programme will be reviewed from next year so that more farmers will benefit.

By Henry Mukasa and Ali Mambule

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has announced that National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) programme will be reviewed from next year so that more farmers will benefit.

The President said he reformed the NAADS programme from being merely an organiser of seminars to supporting six model farms per parish. Now, he wanted a policy shift to give more farmers smaller inputs.

This, he said, would address accusations that the NAADS programme has benefited a few and mainly wealthy farmers.

He explained that choosing six farmers per parish was intended to create ‘demonstration farms’ at village rather than district level.

“Next financial year we are going to transform NAADS into a poverty alleviation programme. We are going to spread wealth so that at least each family gets two or three goats or pigs or sizeable number of poultry,” Museveni said.

“This will cure the envy and arguments that the NAADS programme had benefited only the rich farmers and a few people.”

The President was addressing residents of Kalungu in Masaka district during his tour to promote Prosperity-for-All.

He blasted NAADS officials for using technical words to confuse farmers and leave the most deserving out of the programme. He directed them to use radio advertisements in local languages to communicate to farmers and keep the recordings.

On demands by residents and leaders for the Government to reopen the Buganda Kingdom radio CBS, Museveni said he was surprised they were not pointing out CBS’s mistakes.

“How should I take it? That you don’t mind about the abuses towards government officials and sowing discord?” he said after Bukomansimbi LCI chairman asked for the reopening of the station, drawing loud applause.

The President said incitement through speech, the media, churches, mosques and rallies cannot be tolerated. “The reports I got indicate that CBS was abusive and sowing hatred. I am told they used to prompt people to strike.”

He said he gave the Kabaka copies of the recordings. “Abusing Museveni was on a daily basis and I did not mind, but inciting hatred could not be tolerated.”

He added that opportunists like DP spokesperson Betty Nambooze had taken over CBS. “I am still in talks with the Kabaka. I don’t want them (CBS) to repeat the same mistakes.”

Earlier, the Speaker of Parliament explained the merits of the Land Bill that was recently passed by Parliament.

He said it was meant to protect lawful tenants and give them the first option to buy in case the land lord wants to sell his land.

“If you want to evict someone, let the court know about it and secure an eviction order,” Sekandi argued.

On comments by critics that the Bill should not have preceded the national land policy, he said: “The construction of a new house doesn’t mean the old one should be left in disrepair.”

The President visited Katengeto Integrated Farm in Bukomansimbi county, owned by Vicencia Babirye and Charles Galiwango, and donated a water pump.

The farm is engaged in water harvesting, coffee seedlings multiplication, cattle rearing and coffee rearing.

He also visited Francis Semakula at Kikunyu in Kalungu who is engaged in coffee, poultry and piggery. He donated sh3m to the farmer to put in place a water harvesting system.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});