By Solomon Okabo
Grace Freedom Kwiycwiny, the Minister of State for Northern Uganda has urged beneficiaries of the Parish Development Model (PDM) in Lango to embrace coffee growing.
PDM is an extension of the whole-government approach to development as envisaged under the National Development Plan (NDPIII), with the parish as the lowest administrative and operational hub for delivering services closer to the people.
Government has allocated a trillion shillings this financial year to bankroll the program that is meant to get 39 percent of subsistence farmers out of poverty. Under the arrangement, each parish will receive Shs.100mln as a revolving fund for households who have been organized in groups.
Beneficiaries of the funds are expected to engage in enterprises such as Coffee, Cotton, Cocoa, Cassava, Tea, Vegetable Oils (Inc. Oil Palm), Maize, Rice, Sugar Cane, Fish, Diary, Beef, poultry, Bananas, Beans, Avocado, Sea Nut, Cashew Nuts and Macadamia.
However, while launching the disbursement of the Parish Revolving Fund in Apac Municipality on Monday, Kwiycwiny wondered why many PDM beneficiaries have not selected Coffee.
“I saw many individuals applying for beans, maize and sunflowers. I have also seen some people applying for a diary but I have not seen any one applying for coffee. Actually, coffee will help you to get between Shs.18mln to Shs20mln a year but many of us cannot even make Shs10mln a year. Until we have a specific cash crop like coffee, we shall remain poor forever, “she said.
She encouraged farmers to allot some of their lands to coffee to improve their livelihoods.
“PDM has come to reawaken us that we can produce and manufacture and we can add value and we can get money. I want to encourage you to grow coffee. This is the only way we can move from subsistence to commercial agriculture and harness money, “she added.
A total of 220 PDM beneficiaries received the fund during the launch, out of the 1,142 registered PDM beneficiaries in Apac Municipality. Daniel Odongo Opimo, Apac Municipal Commercial Officer says 409 enterprise groups in the 20 registered PDM SACCOs are lined up to benefit from the Shs1.1bln disbursed to different SACCOS’ accounts in the Municipality.
“At the moment we have shs1.1bln in different SACCO’s accounts. More funding will be released and wired into the PDM SACCO’s account as planned by the government. As you might be aware, the government is planning to disburse Shs100mln to each parish every financial year, “he said. George Abudul, Apac Resident District Commissioner asked the beneficiaries to put the money into good use, “I want to request you to make the best use of the money you have received today. We shall put our ears and eyes on the ground and whoever misuses the money shall be arrested, “he said.
