Amuru gets Shs1.5b to boost post-harvest handling

Dr Bartholomew Okwonga, the district production officer, told this newspaper on Monday that the money will be used to construct 11 food storage facilities and install modern farming machines.

“We shall build 11 food storage facilities throughout the district and install machines such as rice hurlers, grading machines, maize and soya value addition machines, as well as those for destoning,” Dr Okwonga said in an interview.

Lack of storage facilities has for long been a major problem for the farmers in the district, with many opting to store produce in their homes, which affects their quality.

“Part of this money will be used to repair some roads that link these stores to markets in order to ensure that farmers don’t waste much money and time in transporting their produce,” Dr Okwonga added.

Amuru District has eight sub-counties; Paboo, Lamogi, Amuru, Atiak, Elegu, Lakang, Pogo and Layima.

Only four produce storage facilities constructed by the United Nations under the World Food Programme remain functional in the district to date.

Current status

After the LRA insurgency, WFP constructed satellite food collection stores in the district to help in post-harvest handling of crop produce nearly 15 years ago.

However, the multi-billion facilities remain abandoned, dilapidated and out of use while the roofs have been vandalised.

These stores were constructed in the sub-counties of Amuru, Lamogi, Pabbo, and Atiak, among others.

Although Amuru and Nwoya districts are renowned for their abundant cereal crop production across the Northern region, a huge fraction of the produce is still traditionally managed upon harvest.

The traditional practices include drying on the bare ground and granaries.

Mr Patrick Komakech, a farmer in Pagoro Village, Lamogi Sub-county, Amuru District, said establishing the storage facilities will give new meaning to agriculture in the area.

“For long we have been keeping our produce in our houses, making it prone to fire or theft. Due to lack of storage facilities, we also usually sold our produce to middlemen at giveaway prices for fear of it going bad,” Mr Komakech said.

“We have been making losses, especially during the dry season, when our hurts get burnt down with all the harvest,” Mr Komakech added.

Mr John Bosco Otto, a farmer in Opolacen Village, Amuru Town Council, explained that one of the conditions for using the new stores is to form a saving group, which he said will increase their bargaining power when selling their produce.

“This is a blessing to farmers here; we shall begin saving money we get from the sales, remember when we sell, we bargain for a better price since we are in a group,” Mr Opolacen added.

Mr Geoffrey Orsbon Oceng, the resident district commissioner, urged the farmers to protect the new facilities from theft and vandalism.

“Make them your own, and keep them very well once built. Our target is to see the life of a farmer change by getting rid of the traditional ways of farming that fetch little for farmers,” Mr Oceng added.