By Tom Gwebayanga
Following the disbursement of the Parish Development Model (PDM) three years ago, livestock farming and agricultural enterprises have dominated Buyende district, featuring farmers’ successful stories in the rural district popularly known as “Busoga’s Cattle Corridor.”
In the report that the District Production & Marketing Office released ahead of the Presidential PDM Tour in Busoga region, Dr George Patrick Kaballe, also the PDM Focal Person, revealed that livestock enterprise was ranked as the best-performing enterprise in Buyende.
Dr Kabbale attested that the identified and successful farmers gave testimony and can defend their enterprises in case the President visited to toss a glance at their enterprises.
“We have assessed many farmers and identified over 100 farmers with 15 best,” Dr Kabbale said, adding that these enterprises include local goats, cows and poultry (local birds, turkeys) Saso (cross-breed) birds, layers and kuroilers.
Prepared to assess the PDM performance three months ago, random sampling showed that the PDM has changed the livestock game in the rural district.
Buyende is implementing the Government’s PDM Programme, aimed at wealth creation and improving the quality of Ugandans through accessing the Parish Revolving Fund (PRF).
The purpose is to stimulate agricultural and livestock production, improving storage, value addition and marketing.
Subsistence farming households are accessing the Parish Revolving Fund (PRF) through the respective PDM SACCOs.
The money is channelled through the Parish Development Management Information Services (PDMIS), the Financial Inclusion System (FIS) and “Wendi” Mobile Wallet Systems (WMWS), through Post Bank.
The district has worked beyond expectations, having been ranked as one of the top-performing role model districts in effectively handling PDM disbursement last year.
The ranking was announced by the Ministry of Finance.
Recently, the Finance and Local Government Ministries named Buyende as the Busoga Regions PDM Support Center for technocrats and leaders to go for benchmarking.
7,300 beneficiaries got sh.15b
A total of 73 Parish Development Model SACCOs were formed out of 1,533 registered Enterprise Groups.
“Each SACCO corresponds to the respective administrative parishes in the 10 sub-counties and 04 town councils in the District,” Dr Kabbale said.
The beneficiaries were categorised into groups of women, youth, men Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and the elderly, featuring percentages; they got 30, 25, 34, 2 and 9 respectively.
In that respect, a total of 7,300 beneficiary farmers (100 per parish) were prepared and received a loan of sh.1m each to invest in agro and livestock-based enterprises.
The disbursed total in 2022/2023 and 2023/2024, was sh15b.
Criteria
Determination of subsistence farmers/households was done by the community and the PDM team in enterprise group meetings which LCI Chairpersons attended.
The Chief Administrative Officer, Elizabeth Adong, said that the meetings confirmed whether or not the loan applicant is from a subsistence household in that community, in the bid to invest in a qualifying and profitable enterprise with Museveni’s guidance of ‘’Ekibaro.’
A total of 7,300 beneficiary subsistence farmers (100 per parish) were prepared to receive a loan of sh1m each for investment in agro-based enterprises.
Farmer’s testimonies
In Ndolwa–Makanga village in Buyende town council, Moses Sekitoleko, used the money and bought three piglets at sh200,000, which matured and birthed 24 piglets in a space of 20 months.
Five months later, he sold part of the piglets to expand the enterprise, whose results have changed his life featuring a piggery with 35 mature animals and 10 piglets.
“I am set to sell part of the flock to construct a better house but per now, paying fees for my children is no longer a problem,” he said.
Babirye Margaret, the resident of Busikwe Village, Gumpi parish in Gumpi sub-county, bought four Pigs which matured and birthed 22 piglets.
She sold off 11 piglets at sh600, 000. She now has a bull and three sows, and targets to have 50 animals by the close of 2025.
Those who ventured into poultry also testified.
Fatuma Nairuba, a resident of Bukonoka zone in Nakabira ward, Buyende town council bought 200 chicks which have multiplied to 900 birds.
“I have been selling mature birds and replacing them with new chicks. My target is to expand to 2,500 birds by the close of 2025,” she said.
Mirabu Nambi, a peasant from Kakira village, Nsomba parish in Kagulu sub-county opted for dairy farming and bought a local bull at sh800,000 which she later sold and bought a cow and a calf.
“I get 10 litres of milk everyday, which translates to sh7,000 daily. The estimated cost for both animals is sh.2m,” she said.
Henry Mande, a farmer from Igomero village in Ikanda Parish, Buyende sub-county, went for maize and dairy enterprises.
He bought maize seeds and planted two acres which yielded 1300kgs. He sold at a kilo as sh800 and got sh1.4m. He used some of this money to buy a heifer at sh800,000.
The heifer produced a calf, he also gets seven litres of milk every day.
