The government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries, has delivered a total of 13 tractors to farmer groups and individual farmers in the greater Bunyoro sub region.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja handed over the tractors to beneficiaries during an event held at Kakumiro district headquarters on Friday, January 27, 2023.
According to PM Nabbanja, the tractors are part of those recently offered by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to benefit several farmers across the country with the aim of improving and promoting modernised agriculture.
The Prime Minister cautioned the beneficiaries against personalising the tractors and farm equipment and urged them to use the machines communally to boost productivity.
“I advise the farmers to utilise the equipment communally at minimal rates for increased production,” she said.
Eng. Boniface Okanya, a commissioner in the Ministry of Agriculture, said that the tractors have 1000 hours of free service, a three-year warranty, and an installed satellite-based monitoring system to ensure efficiency.
He added that the equipment and other assorted farm inputs that have been given out can be used for grinding, threshing, milling, irrigation, and other functions.
Agriculture is the backbone of Uganda, and the sector has managed to employ approximately 72% of the population, which contributes about 32% to the GDP. President Museveni has always advocated for improved farming and increased productivity.
Recently, he introduced wealth creation programmes like the Parish Development Model (PDM) as a strategy for organising and delivering public and private sector interventions for wealth creation and employment generation at the parish level, along with the proposed building of infrastructure and systems that support the processing and marketing of Uganda’s agricultural products.
