Nduhuura irked by bad NAADS items

Mar 11, 2009

THE State Minister for Health (General Duties), Richard Nduhuura, has criticised the poor quality of items given to farmers under the National Agriculture Advisory Services (NAADS) programme.

By Chris Ahimbisibwe

THE State Minister for Health (General Duties), Richard Nduhuura, has criticised the poor quality of items given to farmers under the National Agriculture Advisory Services (NAADS) programme.

Nduhuura is on a tour of Igara East constituency, in Bushenyi district, to find out the impact of NAADS in the implementation of the Prosperity-for-All programme.

Last Friday, Nduhuura impounded 10 beehives in Kibare village, Bumbeire sub-county, that were given to a farmer only identified as Basimwaki.

On Monday, Nduhuura took the beehives to the district chairman, Longino Ndyanabo, who summoned the concerned officers to explain the state of the hives.
Nduhuura said the farmers complained that the bees would not enter the hives because of the way they were made.

He also discovered five goats that he described as “poor quality”, that were given to a farmer identified as Batambeki of Numba village.

“You are failing the Government if you allow such shoddy beehives to be given to farmers,” Nduhuura said.
“Both the tenderer and the person who verified the contract should be arrested,” Nduhuura said.

“The contracts should be given to capable people,” he added.
The district entomology officer, Gordon Muhimbise, said each beehive cost sh45,000.

He said: “Such items should not pass through the tendering system because it is difficult to follow them.”
The district NAADS coordinator, Patrick Kamwezi, said: “When farmers try to reject such items, committee members threaten to scrap them from the group.”

He said the committee members did not buy good quality items because they were costly.

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