OWC: Govt changes farm input distribution strategy

Amuria. The government has said it will change the current Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) strategy under which inputs are given directly to individual farmers to a new system where the inputs will be distributed to farmer groups.
According to Lt Col Abel Ekelot, the regional coordinator for National Agricultural Advisory Services (Naads), this will enable farms to get higher yields and foster value edition of agricultural produce.
Lt Col Ekelot, who represented the deputy chief coordinator for OWC, Lt Gen Charles Angina at the graduation party of State minister for Disaster Preparedness, Mr Musa Ecweru in Amuria District on Tuesday, said under the new strategy, the programme will be based on crop dynamics in particular regions, adding that this will help fight food insecurity and widen the income base in homesteads countrywide.
Mr Ecweru graduated with a Masters’ Degree in International Relations.

Current programme
Lt Col Ekelot said the current programme has had a lot of challenges, among them being selection of high quality seeds and late delivery of inputs due to procurement procedures.
“We hope to have such encumbrances corrected this year with seeds distributed based on ecological zone and soil variations,” the OWC regional coordinator explained.
Mr Ekelot said under the new strategy, the individual groups will be at liberty to select the enterprise they wish to engage in, which is favourable to the weather of that particular zone.
He said this will enable government to provide machinery incentives to farmers in order to do value addition for better markets.
Mr Ecweru said the changes are timely and also encouraged locals to embrace the OWC programme as a tool to help them fight poverty in their areas.
He added that he has plans to help local businessmen market their produce to the Ateker speaking people in Kenya, especially in Lodwarat region.
“We have the market across the region for our cereals, cassava, among others,” Mr Ecweru added.
Mr Ecweru said the new strategy would enable farmers to have more bargaining power when marketing their produce and to get more produce.
He also called upon the handlers of OWC to provide more agricultural extension workers to teach farmers modern agricultural methods.