OWC gives 4000 kg of beans to Bushenyi locals for planting

BUSHENYI – Bushenyi district has received a consignment of 4000 kilograms of beans for planting from Operation Wealth Creation (OWC).

The consignment was received on Wednesday by a number of district officials including; the LCV Chairperson, Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC), District Internal Security Officer (DISO), Agriculture Officer, and OWC Officers among others.

While receiving the beans at the district headquarters, Ms Jane Asiimwe Muhindo, the RDC said that the inputs were delivered on time unlike in the past when other inputs had been coming late past the planting season. She noted that the supplies will go a long way in helping farmers eradicate food insecurity.

The NABE 17 beans variety packed in 10kg bags will be given to selected farmers in 14 sub-counties according to Patrick Kamwezi, the District Agriculture Officer (DAO), who added that the beans were certified by the Ministry of Agriculture.

Kamwezi, noted that the seeds shall be taken through germination tests to verify their efficacy since the supply is intended for seed multiplication.

Hassan Basajjabalaba, the Chairman LC V Bushenyi district local government thanked the government for thinking about the wananchi during the planting season when rains have started to flash in the district.

He appealed to the farmers to plant the given seeds rather than thinking about eating them on spot.

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“No one should take these maize seedlings and keep them for food because this is a planting season and planting such maize means you are planting the future food basket because they will multiply and feed many others,” said the district Chairman.

Relatedly, farmers in Rwampara district have been asked to plant the maize seeds that were donated by the government to ensure food security and to fight poverty.

The call was also made by legislators hailing from Rwampara district, Hon. Molly Asiimwe, Woman Member of Parliament and Hon. Julius Tusiime Karuhanga, Rwampara East, Member of Parliament while handing over 9 tons of maize seeds to farmers in the area.

Molly Asiimwe noted that the government is trying to ensure food is available and poverty is eradicated.

“We are fighting with poverty and hunger where you find our people only work for the stomach. Now that we have given you the maize seedlings in time, go and plant these seedlings to chase poverty out of your homes,” Asiimwe said.

In his remarks, Julius Tusiime Karuhanga promised farmers that he will bring experts in agriculture to sensitize them on post harvest handling and to get a market for their goods.

“If you harvest quality seeds then you are rest assured of good money. So, we are going to get trainings for our parish committees to have modern harvesting habits to avoid aflatoxins which kill agricultural markets,” he explained.

During his term of office, Julius promised to work on feeder roads to be motorable for the buyers to access farmers’ produces directly from the farms.

Also, in Mbarara City, Ritah Atukwatsa, the area Woman Member of Parliament called upon farmers to be ready with their gardens for planting as the rainy season starts.

She made the remarks while delivering 3 tons of maize seeds to farmers in Mbarara city on Monday.

Atukwatsa said that to be food secure, farmers need to plant in time so that they can get more yields at the end of the season.

She appealed to the beneficiaries to plant the seedlings but not to sell them.

Kyabwisho Gumisirisa, the Mbarara City North Mayor, promised to distribute the seeds to farmers so that farmers can start early planting.

“We used to get a challenge where NAADs and OWC officials used to estimate wrong season timings for the input deliveries and it would all go to waste. But now that these seedlings have come on time, we shall distribute them to our farmers most especially in areas of Kichwamba, Nyarubungo, Bugashe and Katojo,” Kyabwisho explained.

“We are assured that if the season goes well December-January, we shall be having much maize in the market as a result of such free distributed seedling to us,” he added.

Ketty Atuhaire, one of the beneficiaries from Ruti Ward, Market Cell, promised to plant the given maize seedlings such that she can get what to feed on in the coming months.

She thanked the legislator for thinking about them during the planting season.

“We want to thank our woman MP and pray that if she gets more, she can bring to the people of Mbarara City because this is the exact planting season most especially to us women who are food baskets for our families in this region,” said Ketty.

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Soroti City starts re-allocation of lock-ups to vendors at Soroti Modern Market

SOROTI – Authorities of Soroti City have embarked on re-allocation of lockups in Soroti Modern Market nicknamed as “New Jerusalem” constructed under Uganda Markets and Agricultural Trade Improvement Project (MATIP-2); after months of disagreement between vendors and city authorities.

The nine days exercise which commenced on Tuesday, August 31st, 2021 is being spearheaded by the Principle Community Development Officer, Damalie Asekenye who doubles as the Market and Agricultural Trade Improvement Project (MATIP) Officer.

According to the road-map, the lockup allocation exercise is expected to end September 8th,2021 and the vendors will commence their operations in the market on the 10th of this month.

This comes after months of disagreements between the market vendors and city authorities over the illegalities surrounding the first exercise.

The disagreement stemmed from reports that the market leaders led by George William Eriebat, had double allocated themselves lock-ups including their close relatives leaving out more than 2,000 people who had applied for space in the new market.

A number of vendors complained that the allocations were based on relations with the technical people and the majority refused to take up lockups allocated to them by the city authorities.

This forced the Resident City Commissioner (RCC), City Clerk, Ambrose Ocen and the City Mayor, Joshua Edogu to halt the allocation of Lock-ups.

After the process was halted, an independent committee was formed to investigate the allegations that Eriabat and his team had double allocated lock-ups to themselves.

During the investigations which lasted for a month, the committee found out that allegations raised by a section of vendors against the leadership of the Market vendors were true.

However, the Principle Community Development Officer (CDO), Damalie Asekenye told theCooperator that the issues that affected the first re-allocation exercise have been resolved amicably.

She said the ongoing lock-up allocation exercise is being conducted by a 24 man’s team representing the 12 sections in the market.

According to Asekenye, by September 1st, 2021, a total of 38 vendors from Solot-Avenue and Adams road had successfully got their lock-ups without any grievances registered.

“As per the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the then Soroti Municipal Council and the vendors, the priority is given to the vendors (Landlords), their tenants, people operating businesses and those whose leases could have expired by the time of market construction,” said Asekenye.

Richard Opiding, the chairman allocation committee assured the vendors that their commitment is to see that the lock-up allocation is done in a transparent manner.

“My committee and I don’t want to repeat the same mistakes which were done by the leadership of the market vendors and top city management because those mistakes made the vendors protest the first allocations,” he told theCooperator.

Josephine Akayo, one of the smoked fish dealers applauded the government for giving Soroti City such a unique facility.

According to her, the market is not only a pride for Soroti district but Teso as a region.

“It will go a long way in creating job opportunities for vendors,” she summed up his happiness.

Meanwhile, Ambrose Ocen, the Soroti City Clerk said that the new market has 1,390 facilities, including stalls and retail stores which ought to be allocated to the low-income earners to operate inside the market, including the vendors.

“Absentee landlords who may want to buy space have no place here,” the City Clerk told theCooperator in an interview on Wednesday.

He highlighted that the market will boost development in Teso sub-region and Soroti in particular, hence making it a regional business hub.

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Ocen added that Soroti Main Market will not only boost trade in Soroti but also local revenue collection in Soroti City hence improved service delivery to the city dwellers.

Soroti Main Market was constructed by TECHNO 3-Uganda Ltd at a tune of Shs 24 billion, with a loan acquired from African Development Bank (ADB).

It was commissioned by the President H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on November, 2020.

Geoffrey Ettedu, the National Coordinator, Markets and Agricultural Trade Improvement Project (MATIP-2) said the markets constructed by the ministry in the districts of Hoima, Gulu, Moroto and Lira don’t measure to Soroti Modern Market in terms of scope, design and standard.

“Soroti market project is the biggest of all the markets constructed under the Market and Agricultural Trade Improvement Project (MATIP-2),” he added.

In addition to stalls and lockups, the new market has CCTV cameras linked to the Soroti Central Police Station, 500,000 litre water tank, butchery, chicken cages, cold rooms and service centres: tailoring, pharmacies, financial institutions and small-scale value addition units.

The new modern market also has prayer rooms, restaurants, day-care facilities, meeting rooms, and a Police station.

Soroti Modern Market is powered by solar energy for lighting to enable storage of fresh foods and vegetables to avoid losses caused by constant electricity blackouts in the city.

The facility is also connected to the solar water pumping system that is independent of the National Water and Sewerage Corporation.

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Hoima District Referees SACCO suffers financial distress as a result of Covid-19

HOIMA – The mandatory Covid-19 lockdown has finally taken its toll on referees as games and sports resumed under strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

Last week, Hoima District Referees Saving and Credit Cooperative Society’s (SACCO), Board of Directors convened a meeting and made several resolutions to save the SACCO from distressing financial challenges.

Speaking to theCooperator, the referees SACCO Board Chairman, Patrick Kunihira explained that the board meeting agreed that the SACCO suspends the giving out of new loans to the members.

He added that during this period, the SACCO will only give members their savings. Members will be allowed to get half of their savings to ensure that the SACCO continues to survive.

He further added that the board also agreed to reduce on the expenditures which the SACCO office has been incurring such as allowances.

Kunihira explained that during the meeting they also resolved to cut the salaries of their workers and allowed workers to work in shifts.

He also said that some members are failing to save or pay back loans largely due to the Covid-19 induced lockdown.

“You know SACCOs survive on the savings of members but because of the Covid-19 lockdown, our members are no longer saving and those who took the loans are not paying back and such challenges are affecting our SACCO,” he said adding that they have hope that the measures put in place will save the SACCO from facing more financial challenges.

He challenged members who are still earning, something in this period to continue saving and appealed to those members who took the loans to try and pay back the loans to secure their SACCO.

Francis Bagonza, Chairman Investments said that the Covid-19 pandemic has affected several investment plans. He noted that the SACCO had a plan of establishing a depot and to have a means of transport but all these plans have been frustrated by Covid-19 because the SACCO is not making money as they anticipated.

He added that the SACCO had started a Sports club bar but unfortunately this business shut down following the closure of bars by the president to reduce the rates of Covid-19 infections.

However, Bagonza said that before the situation worsened, the SACCO had invested in tree planting projects adding that the SACCO currently has five acres of titled land with Eucalyptus trees.

Philip Tibaigana, the SACCO Manager expressed dismay that the SACCO applied for a loan of Shs 50 millions from the Microfinance Support Center (MSC) to boost them but their request was not honoured despite having fulfilled the requirements.

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In the Annual General Meeting (AGM), which was held early April 2021, the SACCO which started in 2015 had registered 112 members and given out Shs 279m in loans.

The SACCO had Shs 330 million in savings and Shs 22 million in shares.

Derrick Matsiko, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Microfinance Support Center, Bunyoro region said, that several organizations including SACCOs are facing financial distress due to the Covid-19 lock down.

He says that, it is high time SACCO leaders ensured drastic measures to avoid the collapse of their organizations; adding that management thought it wise that Hoima district referees put in place measures of saving their SACCO from facing further financial challenges.

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