MPs ask WFP to buy local produce
Sep 19, 2006
MPs have asked the World Food Programme (WFP) to support Ugandan farmers by purchasing their food especially maize and beans.
By Mary Karugaba
MPs have asked the World Food Programme (WFP) to support Ugandan farmers by purchasing their food especially maize and beans.
The MPs said although one of the aims of the WFP is to eradicate poverty, it imports most maize.
“You are feeding thousands of people on imported food, yet our farmers are stuck with maize. How are you fighting poverty?†Harruna Salabaya asked.
This was during a meeting with the social services and agriculture committees at Parliament this week.
WFP’s country director Tesema Negash dismissed the MPs’ allegations, saying by August, about 123,000 tonnes of food, which is 50% of annual requirements, had been purchased locally.
Negash said the WFP’s local procurement is worth about $31m (sh57.5b).
“We appreciate your concern but about 50% of our annual purchase is done locally. However, we depend on donor assistance and needs are growing. If we are not in those areas, please bear with us,†he said.
Alex Mutanga, the programme coordinator, said the WFP’s target this year is to have 10% of all locally- procured produce directly from small farmers groups.
Mutanga said for this year, they had purchased food worth $1.5m (sh2.7b) from 20 small farmers groups.
He said as part of their objective of saving livelihoods, they had distributed locally-produced improved seeds worth about $0.9m (sh1.6b) in 2005 to conflict- affected areas and about $0.2m (sh371m) in 2006 to date.
He said so far 120 fish ponds had been constructed.
Ends
MPs have asked the World Food Programme (WFP) to support Ugandan farmers by purchasing their food especially maize and beans.
The MPs said although one of the aims of the WFP is to eradicate poverty, it imports most maize.
“You are feeding thousands of people on imported food, yet our farmers are stuck with maize. How are you fighting poverty?†Harruna Salabaya asked.
This was during a meeting with the social services and agriculture committees at Parliament this week.
WFP’s country director Tesema Negash dismissed the MPs’ allegations, saying by August, about 123,000 tonnes of food, which is 50% of annual requirements, had been purchased locally.
Negash said the WFP’s local procurement is worth about $31m (sh57.5b).
“We appreciate your concern but about 50% of our annual purchase is done locally. However, we depend on donor assistance and needs are growing. If we are not in those areas, please bear with us,†he said.
Alex Mutanga, the programme coordinator, said the WFP’s target this year is to have 10% of all locally- procured produce directly from small farmers groups.
Mutanga said for this year, they had purchased food worth $1.5m (sh2.7b) from 20 small farmers groups.
He said as part of their objective of saving livelihoods, they had distributed locally-produced improved seeds worth about $0.9m (sh1.6b) in 2005 to conflict- affected areas and about $0.2m (sh371m) in 2006 to date.
He said so far 120 fish ponds had been constructed.
Ends