Patongo IDPs get sh3.8b farm inputs

By John Kasozi

Internally displaced people in Patongo sub-county, Pader district, have received farming inputs worth 1.38m Euros (about sh3.8b) from Dunavant Uganda and the German government.

Dunavant contributed 877,000 Euros (about sh2.4b) while the German government provided 500,000 Euros (about sh1.4b) through a development finance institution Deutsche Investitions und Entwicklungsgesellschaft (DEG).

DEG’s contribution is part of the public-private partnership programme of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development towards empowering the private sector in Uganda.

The German ambassador, Reinhard Buchholz, handed over 13 tractors, 100 bulls, 100 pairs of ox-ploughs and oxen, 3,000 tons of simsim, 10,000 tons of sunflower, pigeon peas, green gram, soya, groundnuts and beans to the beneficiaries at Patongo sub-county grounds.

Buchholz said over 90% of the internally displaced persons in Lira district, had returned to their homes.

“I hope this will happen in Pader district if people are to benefit from this project. This will encourage Germany and other donors to help you.”

The Dunavant-DEG partnership will help farmers engage in agriculture by enabling them grow food crops and cotton.

“We shall buy the cotton and food crops from the farmers at a fixed price. This will be done in addition to promoting ecologically cultivated cotton and food crops,” said Ravi, Patel Dunavant director.

“We shall set up an oxen farming training centre to provide agricultural extension services to farmers.”

If Pader can increase cotton production in the next three years, you will have a cotton ginning factory in the district,” Patel added.

Labeth Quinto, the Patongo LC3 chairman, said: “Over 515 acres have been opened up for planting. Fifty-six oxen and 28 ox-ploughs were distributed to farmers.”

Peter Odok W’Oceng, the LC5 chairman, advised the locals to engage in cotton farming. “The district should be turned into a cottage ginnery industry.”