By Aloysious Kasoma
ESAFF Uganda, a small-scale farmer-led movement in partnership with GIZ, has donated devices with tools to track the investment activities of smallholder farmers with the district leadership.
Speaking at the Compliance Investment Monetary Tools handover to Gomba district officials on Wednesday, Hakim Baliraine, the Chairperson of the South Africa Small Scale Farmer’s Forum (ESAFF), said that the tools will create harmony among the district leaders and communities.
“We are working closely with GIZ and we are committed to continue supporting the local government with tools that track investment compliance, the tool will be able to give feedback to the leaders in the realization of the objectives of the Parish Development Model (PDM),” he said.
Baliraine explained that they are working with farmer groups across the country to create linkages between the farmers and partners like GIZ.
He said PDM is suffering a political problem that CSOs don’t support.
Martin Kizito the district planner commended ESAFF and GIZ for the several training involving leaders and farmers.
AS a civil society organization (CSO) we expected a lot from you and as a local government, we are here to implement the government programs to its people including the PDM. In your commitment, we need to see how you streamline the PDM,” he said
Kizito added that, 35% of people outside the money economy are expected to be covered under the PDM.
Winnie Kyobutungi the District Natural Resources Officer said that the partnership is timely at the time farmers are overusing chemicals and prohibited tools to do farming.
“Framers in Gomba have put down the mechanized tools and taken the lazy approach of using fake chemicals looming on the market to solve immediate problems. GIZ should also help on issues of quality and mindset change,” she said
Kyobutungi added that the tools could help in forming a government that PDM is failing because some farmers find starting is very expensive due to land fragmentation.
