Otuke, Uganda | The Woman Member of Parliament for Otuke District, Susan Jolly Abeja, has launched a major agricultural support programme aimed at improving household incomes and food security across the district through the distribution of maize seeds.
The programme, launched at Ogoro Parish in Barjobi Subcounty, is expected to benefit about 40,000 households over a period of two years.
During the launch, about 6,000 residents received 2kg packets of MM3 maize seeds, with a total of 12,000 kilogrammes distributed to kick-start the initiative.
Abeja explained that the intervention focuses on long-term livelihood transformation rather than short-term consumable support. She said she prefers supporting initiatives that transform livelihoods in the long run rather than giving items that are consumed quickly.
She added that the maize seed distribution is part of a broader agricultural empowerment programme that will also provide banana suckers to farmers in the coming days. According to Abeja, bananas, which can be harvested up to three times a year, have the potential to significantly improve household incomes if properly managed.
She also encouraged farmers to integrate coffee cultivation alongside banana plantations to diversify their sources of income. In addition, she appealed to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to consider appointing Ministers of Agriculture from different regions of the country, noting that ministers tend to prioritise programmes in their home regions.
Abeja emphasised that beneficiaries should plant the maize seeds immediately to avoid future shortages, stating that she does not want to hear complaints from households that lack money to buy seeds next year.
Otuke District Agricultural Officer Ocen Bonny said the district is implementing climate-smart agriculture programmes aimed at improving productivity and resilience among farmers. He advised farmers to join organised groups and work closely with their Subcounty Agricultural Officers to benefit fully from government agricultural initiatives.
Bonny also noted that the government is promoting micro-scale irrigation schemes, funding up to 75 percent of the project costs. He revealed that the district is expected to receive about 120,000 coffee seedlings this year and encouraged farmers to begin early preparation for their planting.
Regional Agricultural Officer Okello Andrew Awany, who oversees Lira, Alebtong, and Otuke districts, observed that communities engaged in coffee growing tend to experience lower poverty levels. He explained that a well-managed hectare of coffee can generate up to Sh14 million annually, citing examples from the Buganda subregion.
Awany advised farmers to prepare planting holes measuring two feet wide and two feet deep, and to mix the soil with manure before planting coffee seedlings. He added that farmers should plant during cool weather, provide temporary shade, and conserve water to prevent seedlings from drying during the dry season.
Meanwhile, the District Councillor-elect for Orum Subcounty, Abila Compius, reassured residents that the maize seed programme would reach every household in the district, with each expected to receive a 2kg packet as Abeja implements her campaign manifesto.
The maize and banana distribution programme is anticipated to improve food production and household incomes across Otuke District if effectively implemented by farmers.