S.2 drop-out flourish in Irish potato seed multiplication project

By Ayiga Ondoga    
The 1979 Liberation War led by the Tanzanian Peoples Defence Forces (TPDF) and some Ugandans in exile, made Alex Onen 57years cut short his educstion pursuit at Gulu Bright Commercial College and returned to his village at Namia Upper, Pajur parish, Erussi sub-county, Nebbi district for safety.

Onen, who stopped in S.1, returned straight to start farming on their land located at the Uganda-Democratic of Congo (DRC), started with planting the traditional crops of beans, cassava and tomatoes for sale in the local markets in Erussi, Nebbi and DRC to raise money to sustain his family.

Onen said he started engaging in serious commercial agriculture with the growing of Irish Potatoes for seed mulitiplication, which he sells to other farmers for more production in Erussi sub-county and Nebbi district in general.

He said later he registered his project with the National Agriculture Advisory Services (NAADS) as Erussi sub-county Irish Potatoe Seed Stores Project, Nebbi district Local Government but with the village name of “Can Pojuju Project” loosely meaning “Poverty Gives People Wisdom”.

The school drop-out, who said he was born in !959 in the same village to Mr. Alex Okwonga and Mrs. Angellina Pacutho, reveals that he has three wives in the names of Nazarina Ojiga, Janet Atimango and Janet Ocima which resulted to the production of 21 children but with others from outside marriage.

He noted that Ojiga has four children, Atimango has three and Ocima has one child. He observed that out of the 21 children, six are already married (three boys and three girls). Onen said out of the remaining children, two are in secondary school and six are in Primary school, whose school fees he pays using the money raised from Irish growing.

Onen quipped that he separated with the mothers of some of the children and he is also looking after some of his siblings.
He said after registering with NAADS, the officials from Nebbi district gave them conditions of forming a group if we wanted to benefit from the government programme.

“So, we decided to form our group of 16 members who were later sensitized and trained in modern agriculture in all aspects but most importantly Irish Potatoe growing for seed multiplication since it was the project we selected under NAADS programme in the area,” Onen stressed.

He applauded the NAADS for selecting their group in 2006 for a tour in the western region districts of Kabale and Kisoro for an exchange study visit on how our colleagues in the region were growing Irish for commercial purpose.

“After our exchange study tour in western region, Nebbi district local government NAADS officials distributed for us seeds for planting during that season. So, we used three quarter acrage of land to plant our seeds which later yield 15 basins of Irish Potatoes for more seed multiplication after harvest,” Onen bragged.

“Since, we were 16 members, we resolved to re-plant these 15 basin of seeds to get more seeds for the group. This later yield 74 basins of seeds.

At this point in time, we in 2007 decided among ourselves to distribute these seeds to our members, so that each member can cultivate on his/her own, leading to the disbanding of the group because the project could not move faster as expected due to the different ideologies,” One lamented.

Onen, who was now operating on his own, opened two and half acrage of land for his multiplication of the Irish Potatoe seeds in 2007 which resulted in harvesting of 200 basins. Now, in 2012, Onen expects to harvest 400 basins which will fatch him about sh. 11 million if all sold at once.

“The lest amount of money I get because of market problems is between sh. 1 million to sh. 3million because most of the produce is bought by middle business people who give you tough conditions if you want to sell by setting their own price tag,” Onen cried.

Onen said the money he gets from the project is used for paying school fees for the children and siblings, buy medicine for spraying the crops against diseases, acquisitation of more land for expansion of the project, pay worker (Labourers), bought a motorcycle to ease transport and has constructed a modern permanent residential house in order to live a decent life in the village.

CHALLENGES;
Onen noted the challenges facing him were enormous ranging from treatment of the seeds, climate changes which affects the quality and yield of the seeds especially when there is too much rain or total dry season, difficulty in the transportation of the produce (seeds) to the wider markets for the farmers to access in both Uganda and DR. Congo.

He said these conditions has made him to sell the seeds to second-hand buyers at cheaper price because there is no option out.

PLANS;
Onen said he is looking forward to diversify his agriculture programmes by bringing on board the rearing/keeping of animals especially goats and other commercial crops if NAADS continue to support their efforts in order to expand his project in future as a way of fighting poverty and raising household income.

APPEAL TO GOVERNMENT;
Onen urged the government to establish skill training centres for agricultural farmers in the communities in order to improve their farming methods by planting the good quality crops from improved seeds and rearing of hybreed animals like bring on board boer goats from South Africa.

“I call up on the government to encourage agro-processing and market diversification, developing appropriate skills and facilitating the private sector as an engine of growth.

He also appealed to the government to assist them (farmers) especially those who are prospering in the agriculture sector with some soft loans for expansion and provision or supply of transport facilities like trucks which could be paid in installments over a period of time.

If that is achieved, the produce/products could reach the markets both within Uganda and the neighboring countries very fast enough.