By Emmanuel Opio
The Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries, has embarked on distribution of the foundation seeds to smallholder farmers in the country, in an attempt to boost the production of oil seeds in the country.
Through this seven-year National Oilseeds Project which kickstarted implementation in 2021, at least 120,000 -(60%), men, and youth (40%) subsistence smallholder households, are to be supported from 81 selected districts.
In Uganda’s Eastern Kapelebyong District, 10 selected demonstration farmers from the five sub-counties of; Acinga, Acowa, Okungur, Kapelebyong, and Alito, were on Monday, August 21, 2023, supported with 45kgs of soybeans foundation seed, to multiply.
Smiling from ear to ear, Stephen Omeruka, a farmer from Olobai Ward in Kapelebyong Town Council, Kapelebyong District, was full of words of praise to the government after receiving 30kgs of Mak soy 3N and 15kgs Mak soy 6N.
“I prepared my farming field even before receiving this support of the foundation seed. I’m only waiting for rain to be able to plant these seeds,” the jubilant Omeruka said.
John William Ejiet, the Ag. District production Officer of Kapelebyong District said, the carefully selected beneficiary farmers are expected to multiply the foundation seed then MAAIF will in turn buy from them.
“Our extension workers will closely monitor and guide these smallholder farmers to be able to produce quality seed. The same seed is intended to be distributed to other farmers,” Ejiet said.
He challenged the farmers against misusing the seed, urging them to focus on producing quality seeds for the sustainability of the project.
“I planted three gardens of Mak soy 3N which yielded 18bgs. I will ride on the support of this foundation seed to boost my production,” Joseph Emaru, a farmer from Atiira village, Kapelebyong District, said.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, the beneficiary Districts were selected based on; the concentration of smallholders growing oilseeds, conducive private sector-led pull factors, market-ready oilseeds groups leading the clustering approach, and contiguous districts.
The oil seed crops which include; groundnuts, soya, sim sim (sesame), and sunflower, have been produced in northern and eastern Uganda as subsistence and commercial crops for eight decades.
Composition
The NOSP has two mutually interdependent components which include; support for Oilseed Value Chain Development and Support to Market Linkage Infrastructure Serving Oilseed Sector
The National Oilseed project is funded with a loan by the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) and the Opec Fund for International Development (OFID). The total project cost is USD160.70M
