Over 2900 farmers to benefit from NAADs in Masindi.
A total of 2900 farmers in Masindi district are set to benefit from the NAADs phase two programs this financial year as food security farmers and market oriented farmers.
Each food security farmer will be receiving enterprises worth 170,000 and each market oriented farmer will be receiving enterprises worth 100,000 from the program.
Balyekanasa Safina the Masindi district NAADs coordinator said that under the revised phase program out of the over 2billion shilling received by the whole district much of the money will go to food security and market oriented farmers as a way of fighting food shortage and ensuring increased incomes.
“NAADs under phase two is mainly focusing on food security and market oriented farmers because we want to make sure that farmers have enough food to eat and then sell the surplus to increase their house hold incomes.”
She said that the farmers will be provided with planting enterprises like cassava cuttings, potato veins banana suckers and birds for poultry as start up enterprises.
Addressing sub county chiefs political leaders and farmers during the launch of NAADs phase two program at Kabalega resort hotel on Wednesday, Safina said that the third category to be supported will be commercial farmers who are already with enough food.
Representing the district chairperson Godfrey Magezi the secretary for planning administration and investments urged all NAADs implementers to take the program as a common good aimed at improving people’s lives through poverty alleviation.
Magezi appealed to the members to be more practical by having many people demonstrating tangible benefits on the ground through increased food production and income instead of having paper accountability in offices which do not reflect the true picture on the ground.
Freddie Ngobi Aggrey the chief administrative officer Masindi challenged members to always provide the farmers with the necessary information regarding NAADs implantation and to involve them in farmer and enterprise selection for transparency purposes.
David matovu the resident district commissioner Masindi urged the farmers to have a sense of ownership for the enterprises received by taking good care of them if they are transform them selves from the biting poverty which is eating most Ugandans.
“NAADs is here to help you people transform your selves from poverty to rich people and this can only be possible through you person initiative.”Ngobi said.
He also appealed to all the implementers of the program to always ensure routine monitoring and accessement at all levels to see that the program succeeds.