Households enrolled under the Parish Development Model and other government wealth creation programs need practical agricultural skills through parish-based demonstration farms if the country is to realize meaningful income improvement, farmers in Greater Masaka have said.
The farmers argue that despite accessing government credit and startup capital, many smallholder farmers remain trapped in subsistence production because they lack practical training and exposure to modern farming methods.
Greater Masaka Pig Farmers Union chairperson Samuel Ssekyondwa says the government should establish common-user agricultural demonstration centers at least at the constituency or parish level, where beneficiaries of wealth creation programs can access hands-on training and productivity support.
According to Ssekyondwa, the demonstration farms would also strengthen the work of agricultural extension workers recently deployed at the sub-county level, by giving them practical spaces to train farmers within their communities.
Kabwangu Farmers’ Cooperative Society secretary Jacinta Lunkuse says the centers would also help standardize agricultural practices and improve the quality of farm outputs by giving farmers common reference points for production methods. She adds that the facilities could further operate as organized market coordination and information hubs, helping farmers avoid exploitation by middlemen posing as trade agents.
Joseph Ssebugwawo, a farmer from Kiziba Ward in Kimanya-Kabonera Division, wants the government to partner with church social welfare structures and existing cooperatives to pilot the initiative. He notes that although some organized farmer groups in parts of Greater Masaka have attempted similar projects privately, they continue to face resource limitations.
During his inauguration speech at Kololo Independence Grounds, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni urged Ugandans to embrace commercial agriculture as a pathway to jobs and wealth creation, pledging that the government would prioritize programs aimed at improving household livelihoods.-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
