Dokolo North MP Joseph Jones Ogwal has called on the government to consider alternative livelihood options under the cattle restocking programme, citing changing land-use patterns and shifting economic priorities among beneficiaries.
Ogwal made the remarks on Tuesday during a visit to Dokolo District by State Minister for Economic Monitoring Santa Alum Ogwang, who was monitoring the implementation of the Parish Development Model (PDM) and cattle restocking programme in the district.
Ogwal said the restocking programme was intended to restore productive assets lost by beneficiaries, with the government providing funds to enable them to acquire cattle.
He, however, said some beneficiaries were using the funds to invest in other economic activities instead of purchasing cattle.
“Government said you lost cows, we give you back money to buy cows — a like for like,” Ogwal said.
He said the government should assess the choices beneficiaries are making and consider whether alternative enterprises could provide sustainable livelihoods in areas where cattle keeping has become difficult.
Ogwal pointed to the reduction of land available for grazing in Dokolo as one of the factors affecting cattle keeping.
“In the land over here, and especially in Dokolo, the vast land that we used to have for grazing is no longer there,” he said.
He noted that some beneficiaries had turned to poultry, saying such choices could provide government with an indication that community economic priorities were changing.
Ogwal nevertheless said the core objective of the programme should remain the restoration of productive assets, while allowing beneficiaries to pursue viable economic alternatives suited to their circumstances.
He urged the government to use findings from the monitoring exercise to guide future interventions and avoid penalising beneficiaries for choosing alternative enterprises where local conditions make cattle keeping less viable.
Minister Ogwang’s visit was aimed at assessing how government programmes, including PDM and cattle restocking, were being implemented in Dokolo District.