Hundreds of farmers seeking land at the Wadelai Irrigation Scheme in Pakwach District are still waiting for plot allocation, three months after their names were submitted to the authorities.
Gerald Opio, secretary of the Wadelai Rice Irrigation Cooperative, says the cooperative submitted nearly 300 names of interested farmers to the relevant authorities about three months ago but has yet to receive a response on when they will be allocated land.
The delay has raised concerns among farmers eager to begin agricultural production at the scheme, which is expected to expand rice growing and improve livelihoods in the area. Pakwach District Chief Administrative Officer Jessica Ongiertho has urged contractors to speed up ground levelling, land clearing and other outstanding works to enable farmers to access the land.Ongiertho has given the contractors two weeks to allocate plots to the interested farmers, warning against further delays.
However, some irrigation infrastructure remains incomplete, raising questions about whether the scheme will be ready to support full-scale production. George Wekupare, chairperson of the Water User Committee, says sections of the infrastructure, including quadrant canals, are yet to be completed despite the growing demand for land from farmers and local authorities.Shaban Ofoi Kinobe has also called on the contractors and the Ministry of Water and Environment to complete the works covering all 250 hectares to allow farmers to begin production.
Meanwhile, Ibrahim John, a senior engineer at the Ministry of Water and Environment, says the ministry has taken over some additional works that had placed a heavy burden on the contractors.
The completion of the outstanding works and allocation of plots are expected to determine when farmers can start cultivating at the irrigation scheme-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
