700,000 farmers get NAADS funding
Dec 07, 2010
THE Government has released sh38.74b out of sh132.4b for the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) programme.
By Ronald Kalyango
THE Government has released sh38.74b out of sh132.4b for the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) programme.
The funds, to benefit 106 farmers per parish in all the 112 implementing districts in the countryside, marks the end of a five-month suspension of the programme.
During his Prosperity-For-All programme in Kabarole district in July, the President halted the release of NAADS funds over mismanagement.
Museveni said the over sh120b for this financial year will only be released after a thorough audit and accountability for last year’s funds.
“The President only halted the release of the funds, but NAADS activities have been going on in all the implementing districts,†said Dr. Mwalimu Musheshe, the NAADS board chairman, during a phone interview.
Under the new guidelines, which have been accepted by President Museveni and development partners, emphasis will be put on the promotion of household food security and agricultural commercialisation.
The NAADS executive director, Dr. Silim Nahdy, said the release followed a thorough dissemination of the guidelines among the beneficiaries countrywide.
“We have disseminated the guidelines. All the districts have the capacity to start utilising the resources,†Nahdy said.
He said in the second phase, NAADS would provide improved planting and stocking materials to households for both multiplication and consumption.
To reach as many farmers as possible, the second phase of the programme intends to employ a new concept, the ‘Village Farmer Forum’ concept.
Under the arrangement, all households within a village will be constituted into a development forum to provide the basis for planning for food security.
The support for food security farmers will on average be sh100,000 per farmer for crop-based commodities like maize, rice, millet, sorghum, beans and cowpeas.
The seeds, however, should be sufficient to at least plant one acre. Cassava cuttings should be able to plant half-an-acre, sweet potatoes one acre and banana suckers and Irish potatoes to cover a quarter of an acre.
“Because of the meagre costs of livestock enterprises, the beneficiaries will be fewer,†according to the guidelines.
All the beneficiaries will be required to repay the farmers’ development forum so that others can benefit.
For locally-available inputs at the sub-counties or districts, community procurement will be used to access technologies through the guidance of specialists.
Musheshe said the arrangement under the second phase will ensure food security in the country.
“We believe that once farmers are in control of the programme, corruption which had hampered the success of the programme, will be eliminated gradually,†Musheshe added.
According to documents obtained from the NAADS secretariat, Kibaale district will get the biggest share of the money, while Buhweju will get the least. Kibaale will get over sh2.87b out of the sh132b budgeted for districts, while Buhweju will get sh463.8m.
The funds for the districts are to be used for developing capacity among farmers, procurement and delivery of technology, in addition to delivering agricultural advisory extension services to farmers.
The money will also be used in strengthening market linkages and promoting value addition.
Kibaale will be followed by Wakiso, which will get sh2.7b, and Masaka with sh2.67b.
Other districts getting funds include Lyantonde (sh496.1m), Buvuma (sh521.8m), Luuka (sh522.6m), Rubirizi (sh540m), Kalangala (sh620m), Otuke (sh660m) and Amudat (sh677m).
THE Government has released sh38.74b out of sh132.4b for the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) programme.
The funds, to benefit 106 farmers per parish in all the 112 implementing districts in the countryside, marks the end of a five-month suspension of the programme.
During his Prosperity-For-All programme in Kabarole district in July, the President halted the release of NAADS funds over mismanagement.
Museveni said the over sh120b for this financial year will only be released after a thorough audit and accountability for last year’s funds.
“The President only halted the release of the funds, but NAADS activities have been going on in all the implementing districts,†said Dr. Mwalimu Musheshe, the NAADS board chairman, during a phone interview.
Under the new guidelines, which have been accepted by President Museveni and development partners, emphasis will be put on the promotion of household food security and agricultural commercialisation.
The NAADS executive director, Dr. Silim Nahdy, said the release followed a thorough dissemination of the guidelines among the beneficiaries countrywide.
“We have disseminated the guidelines. All the districts have the capacity to start utilising the resources,†Nahdy said.
He said in the second phase, NAADS would provide improved planting and stocking materials to households for both multiplication and consumption.
To reach as many farmers as possible, the second phase of the programme intends to employ a new concept, the ‘Village Farmer Forum’ concept.
Under the arrangement, all households within a village will be constituted into a development forum to provide the basis for planning for food security.
The support for food security farmers will on average be sh100,000 per farmer for crop-based commodities like maize, rice, millet, sorghum, beans and cowpeas.
The seeds, however, should be sufficient to at least plant one acre. Cassava cuttings should be able to plant half-an-acre, sweet potatoes one acre and banana suckers and Irish potatoes to cover a quarter of an acre.
“Because of the meagre costs of livestock enterprises, the beneficiaries will be fewer,†according to the guidelines.
All the beneficiaries will be required to repay the farmers’ development forum so that others can benefit.
For locally-available inputs at the sub-counties or districts, community procurement will be used to access technologies through the guidance of specialists.
Musheshe said the arrangement under the second phase will ensure food security in the country.
“We believe that once farmers are in control of the programme, corruption which had hampered the success of the programme, will be eliminated gradually,†Musheshe added.
According to documents obtained from the NAADS secretariat, Kibaale district will get the biggest share of the money, while Buhweju will get the least. Kibaale will get over sh2.87b out of the sh132b budgeted for districts, while Buhweju will get sh463.8m.
The funds for the districts are to be used for developing capacity among farmers, procurement and delivery of technology, in addition to delivering agricultural advisory extension services to farmers.
The money will also be used in strengthening market linkages and promoting value addition.
Kibaale will be followed by Wakiso, which will get sh2.7b, and Masaka with sh2.67b.
Other districts getting funds include Lyantonde (sh496.1m), Buvuma (sh521.8m), Luuka (sh522.6m), Rubirizi (sh540m), Kalangala (sh620m), Otuke (sh660m) and Amudat (sh677m).