NAADS Boss Calls for Group Cohesion amongst Farmers in Rwengaju Model Sub County

The Executive Director of NAADS Dr. Samuel Mugasi has urged farmers in Rwengaju sub county in Kabarole district to embrace working together as a team if they are to maximize the benefits from the support given to them by the government.

Dr. Mugasi was on a monitoring visit to farming projects supported by the government of Uganda through NAADS and other government agencies in Rwengaju model sub county. The Rwengaju model sub county is a presidential initiative to transform the livelihoods of the people in this sub county through agriculture. Under this initiative, Government through NAADS has supported the farmers with agricultural inputs ranging from in-calf heifers, poultry, pigs, milk coolers, a feed mill, water for production and much more.

Speaking to the farmers, Dr. Mugasi said there is a need for leaders at all levels to invest in mind-set change and empower the people to drive their own transformation and become a model sub county that the president desires to see.

“We don’t want Ugandans to depend on Government to supply everything. Once government gives people start up packages and advisory information in from of extension services, they must steer their transformation as the local people”, explained Dr. Mugasi.

He added that Government’s contribution is to facilitate farmers by giving them the required support like extension services, bring them the infrastructure like water, the milk coolers, feed mills and others. The actual work on the farm that includes increasing milk production, banana production on the farm, tilling the land, feeding the cows is their work to ensure they increase production and productivity.

Members of Rwengaju model sub county headed by their chairperson Richard Nyakana informed the monitoring team from NAADS that the milk cooler that the farmers received from NAADS was underutilized and asked for better breeds of cows for increased milk production. At the time of the visit, the 2,000 litre milk cooler was collecting only 250 litres a day.

However, Dr. Mugasi challenged the farmers saying that the problem is not the breed of the cows but that the farmers are selling their milk individually instead of marketing collectively using the milk cooler. He urged them to work together and make sure they market their milk collectively as a group because that is when they will be able to negotiate better prices and get returns for their businesses.

“The milk to fill the cooler is there but you are not marketing together. Please come together and identify a market and negotiate a good price”, urged Dr. Mugasi

He appointed a focal point person at NAADS Secretariat Hajjat Fatuma Grace Kazigati to coordinate the efforts of the group to make sure they are guided and supported, remain together to avoid the risk of the disintegrating.

He urged them to consider adding value to their make milk and make products like pasteurized milk, yoghurt, cheese and others and take advantage of the Fort Portal Tourist city and market these products. He pledged to support the farmers to start their own inputs shop and link them with genuine inputs dealers to have their own in the sub county.