By Jackson Kitara
As a way to diversify their economy and increase their income, Mon Roc boda-boda group in Owoo sub-county Gulu district have ventured into commercial farming.
The boda-boda group with a total of 59 members where 16 are women are located at Mon Roc village, Kulu Keno parish, Owoo sub county in Gulu district.
The group are engaging in commercial farming where they grow maize, soya bean and sunflower, besides their transport work.
According to Robinson Obwoya, the chairperson of the group, they started their group seven years ago as village savings and loan association (VLSA) with 39 members
He says they started commercial farming two years ago after being in hardship during COVID-19 lockdown a
Obwoya says besides farming they also do counseling in the villages on gender based violence (GBV) and also introduced a development fund in which the group saves the money for emergencies to support members.
He says they were supported by Aswa County Member of Parliament, Simon Wokorach who trained them for two days at Lugore prison farm and provide them with seeds for planting where last year, they grew maize on 25 acres of land; five acres of land were group farm and 20 acres are individual gardens where each member were mandated to grow maize on two acres of land.
He says after harvesting they store the crops in a store and sell in bulk where last year they sold to Office of the Prime Minister and got over sh7m
“After selling maize, we pick parts of the money for paying fees, save parts of the money as development fund for emergencies and use others for farming for the next season” Obwoya said.
Christine Akwero, one of the group members says group farming is helping her to buy stocks she sells in the market, bought goats and also has helped her to save her money.
Samuel Ayella, one of the group members says he used the money he got from farming to pay school fees, bought goats and pigs which he is rearing.
He says last he produced 10 bags of maize in an acre of his own garden after he got 5kg of maize seeds.
Simon Peter Wokorach, Aswa county Member of Parliament says Mon Roc Boda-boda group is among 200 groups that he is supporting in farming under the Aswa county production task force after identifying potential farmers.
He says they trained 200 groups on farming, enterprise selection, post-harvest handling and mindset change and also looking for a market where they can sell.
Wokorach assures the farmers of the market and says last year, he connected the farmers to Office of the Prime Minister who bought their maize to feed people in Karamoja sub-region
“Don’t sell your land, but turn it to be productive so that you can benefit out of it. Don’t look at the Balalo coming to our land as if they are now gold, you can turn your land whatever small it is, productively for you to get your family out of poverty”, Wokorach advised.
The legislator appeals to the youth to respect the elders in their family and clan, citing they should stop intimidating elders who are protecting the customary land for the generation which are yet to come.
He said “if we dilly dally with the land that we have, we shall remain in poverty because once you have sold the land, you will never reverse it”.
