By Herbert Musoke
The government of Uganda through the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) has resumed the distribution of livestock materials mainly in-calf heifers, pigs, chicken and fingerings to special interest groups across the country.
According to Dr Thomas Nsemerirwe, the Livestock Development Officer at NAADS, in this current financial year 2023/24, NAADS has resumed the distribution of livestock to special interest groups in the efforts to fight poverty and improve the living standards of these people.
He further noted that the current support for livestock materials targets special interest groups like the youth, religious institutions, women groups, associations of the PWDs, widows and spouses of security officers among others.
The distribution commenced with four archdioceses of Kampala, Gulu, Tororo and Mbarara which received 3,352 pigs (2,234 females and 1,118 males).
Dr Nsemerirwe said the pigs given out this year are the breeding pigs which are given to farmers for multiplication purposes.
“We caution the beneficiaries not to slaughter the pigs for meat or sell them off to butchers because they are strictly for breeding to enable multiplication,” explained Dr Nsemerirwe.
Receiving the pigs on behalf of the Uganda Episcopal Conference at NAADS Secretariat, Father Joseph Mary Ssebunya, the youth Chaplain of Kampala Ecclesiastical Province expressed his gratitude to NAADS for the support rendered to them.
“We requested for this support from NAADS because as the Church of Christ, we focus on the holistic development of the faithful that includes both the spiritual, financial as well as the social wellbeing of the congregation,” said Father Sebunnya.
He said the pigs received are going to be given to the youth in the different archdioceses to improve their livelihoods.
In addition, the Veterans PWAD-Myooga Association in Katabi, Entebbe and Makerere Full Gospel Church each received 90 pigs.
Dr Nsemerirwe said so far, 618 in-calf heifers, 3,352 pigs, 63,400-day-old chicks with 63,400kgs of starter pellet and 95,100 kgs grower mash feed have been distributed across the country valued at sh6b.
Also, 1,397.066 tilapia and 846,486 catfish fingerings were given out. 16,000 catfish fingerings with 58,706 kgs of fish feed were given to NISI Organic farm which is a training centre mainly for women and youth fish farmers in Makindye, he says.
Since 2015, NAADS has distributed over 20,000 pigs to farmers across the country for household income in different District Local Governments and special interest groups such as youth and women.
LEAD PHOTO CAPTION: Dr Thomas Nsemerirwe, the Livestock Development Officer (left) at NAADS and Father Joseph Mary Ssebunya, the youth Chaplain of Kampala Ecclesiastical Province (middle), during the handover of pigs.
