By Peter Abaanabasazi
In a bid to improve food production in Kakumiro district, the state minister for works, Fred Byamukama, has procured over 500 hand hoes for local leaders in the district.
The beneficiaries include district and sub-county councillors, chairpersons, women, religious and youth leaders who received hoes at a function held at Kakora Primary School in Nalweyo town council, Kakumiro district.
Byamukama was meeting leaders to discuss how to help the local communities and use their land to fight poverty.
Byamukama, who is also the Bugangaizi West MP, said the campaign of procuring hoes was initiated to ensure food security and poverty alleviation.
He said Bunyoro region has fertile soils and a favourable environment that is favourable for growing bananas, coffee, pineapples, fruits and cereals.
He added that it is the right time for the people of Bunyoro to engage in farming to be able to supply the market, which is being created by the oil industry.
He said several oil projects, such as, road and airport construction, oil drilling and oil refinery are being implemented and that they have increased the influx of people who will need food.
Matia Kaaha, the chairperson of Kisagara cell, in Nalweyo sub-county, commended Byamukama for the intervention, adding that his campaign is an encouragement to people to engage in agriculture as a business.
However, he urged the Government to support farmers in the region with mechanisation and enable them to engage in large commercial production.
He noted that there is a need to have tractors at every parish, to ensure that farmers get mechanisation service at an affordable cost.
Local leaders also challenged the Government to increase money for the road fund to enable the rehabilitation of access roads in their areas.
They claimed that each sub-county receives sh5m every financial year to work on community access roads, something they said is not enough.
