NRM's Namayanja Urges Nakaseke Farmers to Turn Agriculture into a Path Out of Poverty

NRM Deputy Secretary General Rose Namayanja has urged farmers in Nakaseke District to embrace agriculture and strengthen their farming activities as a way of fighting household hunger and increasing incomes.

Namayanja made the call while handing over agricultural inputs to farmers, particularly beneficiaries of the Parish Development Model (PDM), as part of an initiative aimed at promoting household economic empowerment and sustainable development.

The initiative, supported by Youth Platform Africa (YPA) in partnership with the Rose Namayanja Foundation, saw beneficiaries receive goats, chicks, coffee and banana seedlings, fertilisers, pesticides and other agricultural inputs.

YPA donated 100 goats to five farmer groups. The groups are expected to rear the goats for one year before passing them on to other beneficiaries, creating a revolving model intended to extend the benefits to more households.

According to YPA spokesperson Charles Ssempijja, the goats are of a good breeding variety, and beneficiaries have been urged to take proper care of them to improve their household incomes.

“These are good breeding goats. We are encouraging the beneficiaries to look after them well so that they can multiply and help transform their livelihoods economically,” Ssempijja said.

Other items distributed included 3,000 chicks, 8,000 coffee seedlings, 3,200 banana seedlings, 1,500 kilogrammes of fertilisers and 64 additional goats, while 62 pigs are expected to be provided.

Namayanja commended YPA for supporting farmers with livestock and other agricultural inputs, urging beneficiaries to put the items to productive use rather than selling them.

“I encourage the people of Nakaseke to strengthen their farming so that they can fight hunger in their homes and increase their household incomes. This is how we can improve the welfare of our families,” Namayanja said.

She also emphasised the importance of using the 293 Practical Training Centres (PTCs) in Nakaseke District, saying access to PDM funds and agricultural inputs alone is not enough to guarantee success without the necessary skills.

Namayanja said some beneficiaries who received PDM funds had struggled to sustain their enterprises because they lacked the practical knowledge required to manage their projects.

“Many people have received PDM money, but because they did not have the necessary skills, some have lost track along the way. This is why we are encouraging the use of Practical Training Centres to equip beneficiaries with skills in the specific agricultural fields they have chosen,” she said.

She explained that the PTCs should serve as practical learning centres where farmers can acquire hands-on skills in livestock keeping, crop production and other agricultural enterprises before and after investing their PDM funds.

Namayanja also encouraged farmers to embrace cooperatives and work together to strengthen their bargaining power and improve their ability to access reliable markets with support from government and other stakeholders.

Nakaseke District has received more than Shs13 billion under the PDM programme.

District Chairperson Ignatius Koomu Kiwanuka urged beneficiaries not to sell the agricultural inputs but instead use them productively to improve their livelihoods.

“Please do not sell these items. Use them productively so that you can move your families out of poverty,” Kiwanuka said.

Florence Nakalema, the PDM chairperson of Kasambya Parish, said she and other local leaders would monitor the beneficiaries to ensure the items are properly utilised and that the recipients become examples to other residents in Nakaseke.

Farmers were encouraged to make use of the training facilities to acquire skills that can help them improve production, manage their enterprises and make better use of government support.