Karamoja districts get pick-up trucks for food security

By John Agaba

Uganda may be producing enough food for her 34 million people. However, its output can be doubled by helping farmers access good quality seeds and practice better farming practices.

These were the words Reint Bakema used at the ceremony of handing over 9 pick-up trucks to the seven Karamoja districts for implementation of food sustainability programmes in the region.

The ceremony was Friday at the Prime Minister’s offices on Apollo Kagwa Road.

The chief technical advisor on agriculture issues in the Karamoja region, voiced that farmers in the country need to be directed where they can get good quality seeds. They also need to be taken through the importance of irrigation, mulching, and use of manure or fertilizers.

He said farmers also need to be directed on where they can get veterinary services in case their livestock fell sick. This, he added, would double food output in the country.

On Friday, the OPM handed over nine pickup trucks to chief administrative officers in the seven Karamoja districts of Moroto, Kaabong, Kotido, Nakapiripirit, Abim, Amudat and Napak to enable their production departments improve service delivery in farming and livestock keeping.

Amudat and Napak were given an extra one truck each as they are new districts.

The Ford Rangers, handed over by Barbara Nekesa, the state minister Karamoja affairs, cost about sh612m, each truck going for about sh68m.

Bakema said that farmers have to be linked to the market; which market adds value to the produce before final consumption.

Moses Bahemuka Kisembo, CAO Nakapiripirit district, said about 12,000 households in Karamoja were involved in upgrading productive infrastructure, like construction of community roads, water tanks, and stores.

He said the region was scaling up their food security interventions.

He said: “we have a lot of projects directly supporting agricultural and livestock training, and offering improved seeds and farm implements and oxen to the farmers.”

He said one of such projects was the Karamoja Livelihoods Programme (KALIP) which is supporting over 15,000 households in the region.

KALIP is funded by the European Union to the tune of €15m (about sh49b).