Dokolo, Uganda | Dokolo District Local Government has received 40,000 kilograms of hybrid maize seed from Equator Seeds Limited under the Government’s Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) programme, in an intervention aimed at boosting agricultural production and reducing poverty among farmers.
The seed handover comes amid prolonged unfavourable weather conditions that have affected agricultural production in Dokolo and other parts of Northern Uganda.
Speaking during the handover on Thursday, OWC Coordinator for Dokolo District, Maj. (Rtd) Tobias Alele, said the Government had identified low agricultural productivity and persistent poverty as major challenges affecting communities in Northern Uganda.
Alele said the initiative is intended to increase agricultural production, improve household incomes and create opportunities for farmers to break the cycle of poverty.
He reported that the Government wants farmers to increase production, improve household incomes and use agriculture as a pathway out of poverty.
He explained that the maize seed would be distributed to registered cooperatives and organised farmer groups, which would be expected to bulk their produce for possible linkage to markets, including the National Enterprise Corporation under the Ministry of Defence and other investors.
Dokolo District Production Officer, Geoffrey Sam Okaka, confirmed that the district had received 40,000kg of hybrid maize seed and said only farmers belonging to organised groups would benefit from the programme.
Okaka warned that the programme would not benefit farmers who fail to utilise the seed, urging beneficiaries to demonstrate commitment by planting the seed and working towards achieving high yields.
He reported that the programme was intended for serious and committed farmers who would plant the seed and aim for good yields.
District LCV Chairperson Peter Ogwang urged technical staff to ensure that the programme benefits farmers based on their production capacity rather than individual interests.
He called for the identification of capable farmers across all the district’s 14 sub-counties and urged the Production Department to work closely with extension workers.
Ogwang also warned against corruption, describing it as one of the major obstacles to the country’s development.
He reported that corruption must not be allowed to interfere with programmes intended to benefit ordinary farmers.
The Resident District Commissioner, Babra Akech, acknowledged that unfavourable weather conditions had continued to affect farmers but stressed the need for beneficiaries to strictly follow the programme guidelines.
Akech proposed the use of cooperatives previously supported under the Agricultural Cluster Development Project (ACDP) to organise farmers and prepare them for the programme.
She also challenged Equator Seeds Limited to deliver the outstanding bean seed to enable farmers to catch up with the planting season.
She reported that the bean seed should be delivered as soon as possible because farmers needed to catch up with the planting season.
In response, a representative of Equator Seeds Limited pledged that the remaining bean seed would be delivered to Dokolo District on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
District leaders urged beneficiaries to treat the maize seed as an economic opportunity rather than simply as farm inputs, saying increased production, collective marketing and improved farm management could contribute to higher household incomes and poverty reduction.
The programme is expected to strengthen organised farming and improve farmers’ access to markets as the district seeks to recover from recent production challenges.