By Peter Abaanabasazi
Over 200 farmers under the group Kayera Farmers Association in Kabaale sub-county, a home of oil and gas facilities in Hoima district, have reason to smile after the government through the Ministry of Agriculture offered them a tractor to improve on production.
While receiving the tractor Pastor Joseph India the chairman of Kayera farmers association said the tractor has been delivered at the right time as farmers are preparing their garden for the new planting season.
He noted that the biggest challenge which farmers are facing in the district was lack of mechanization machines to open up large pieces of land for Agriculture.
India who also serves as a pastor for Kabaale Christian Assembly said that the Association has over 1000 acres of land and has been using hand hoes and because of this challenge they have not been able to cultivate even half of the land.
He noted that as farmers engaged in Maize. Beans, Simsim and groundnuts among others, are optimistic that with the donation of the tractor they will be able to utilize the 1000 acres of land and this will increase their production.
He noted that the tractor will not only help the association farmers but it will also be hired to the surrounding community to see that the engage in commercial production adding that their target as a groups is to become rich through farming
Cultivating using the hoes have been difficult but with this tractor we now know that we shall be covering all our land and get the benefit we desire, the local communities around us will also benefit because we want empowerment for all, like the government wants wealth creation for all”
India challenged the local communities to embrace this tractor to be able to move away from subsistence farming adding the association member they are planning to sit and determine the conducive charges for the farmer who will need to hire the tractor.
”We have been crying where to hire tractor to cultivate out farms but now our cries have been answered, now that we have been empowered, no sleep now let us push our agenda and vision of Government” he challenged the farmers”
Hassan Kugonza the chairman LC3 for Kabaale sub-county commended the farmers for getting organized adding that it was not going to be easy to get the tractor of the practicing farming as individuals.
He commended the government for answering the desire of the locals adding that getting a tractor in Hoima district is difficult adding that even the few available tractors are always competed for and they are too expensive to hire by the poor farmers.
However he warned the groups against personalizing the tractor adding that there is a bad practice where such agro machines delivered to groups end up being personalized by some few individuals.
He also challenged the group to properly manage the tractor to ensure that it serves its intended purpose adding that such tractors sometimes get mismanaged and they end up getting grounded instead of benefiting farmers.
Jacob Okum the secretary for Kayera farmer’s Association said that the recently reached out to the brother of President Museveni Shadrach Nzeire Kaguta and lobbied for them this tractor.
He commended Nzeire for responding to their request adding they have been waiting for the tractor for a long time to engage in commercial production.
He noted that the level of digging as farmers was low adding that they have been employing local communities to cultivate which is costly and they would take three weeks to complete an acre and this would affect them in that they would not be able to plant on time.
He noted that the tractor is going to help them to boost their production and be able to supply the oil market since they are farmers in the oil rich areas.
Recently when Nzeire Kaguta was in Hoima revealed that he had communicated with Bright Rwamirama Kanyontore, Minister of State for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries and discussed how several farmer groups were going to be offered tractors to boost production.
He noted that tractor has been secured and they were going to be offered to groups such as Hoima city local council one chairperson’s farmer’s SACCO, Kayera farmers association and another one was going to be given to the former second deputy Prime Minister Henry Muganwa Kajura and his family.
The tractor was delivered on Wednesday by an official from the Ministry of Agriculture, he did not comment because he was not Authorized to speak on the behalf of the Ministry.
