Obongi District – Farmers in Obongi district have expressed their gratitude towards President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for spearheading the District Resilience Development Implementation Programme (DRDIP), which has significantly contributed to socio-economic transformation in the region. Through DRDIP, various income-generating projects such as horticulture and tree planting have been implemented, bringing tangible benefits to the local community.
Several sites in Obongi have reported successful sales and ongoing reproduction of agricultural produce. Notable among these are:
- Iboa Central Women Nursery, which recorded sales of seedlings amounting to 1,150,000/- during the last season, with continuous reproduction underway.
- Indilinga West Nursery Site, which generated 3,000,000/- from the sale of assorted vegetables and seedlings in the previous season, with ongoing reproduction efforts.
- Obongi Youth Town Council Nursery Site, where sales of assorted vegetables and seedlings reached 930,000/-.
Our sources indicate that farmers in the district have collectively earned over five million shillings from the sale of seedlings at various project sites, including the Obongi Youth Town Council vegetable growing and tree planting project site, the Indilinga West Nursery Bed Site in Aliba Sub-county, and the Iboa Central Women Nursery Bed Project in Palorinya Sub-county.
AgriFarm Uganda Ltd, engaged by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) as one of the implementing partners, has played a pivotal role in training farmers and establishing tree nursery beds and vegetable gardens across Obongi district. To date, AgriFarm has successfully set up 30 nursery beds equipped with irrigation systems, enabling year-round agricultural production.
The recent purchase of seedlings and vegetables was overseen by local authorities, including RDC Obongi Samuel Mpimbaza Hashaka, DISO Elyebu Denis, OPM Engineering Assistant Esaku Emmanuel, and Agricultural Officer Ms. Irene Nakigudde from AgriFarm.
While expressing their appreciation for the DRDIP initiative, farmers also urged the OPM to take action against implementing partners failing to deliver on their commitments. Specifically, they highlighted the case of Gulu University, which received substantial funding in February 2023 for fish pond projects that have yet to materialize.
The farmers remain hopeful that continued support from the government, coupled with effective implementation of DRDIP projects, will further enhance the socio-economic development of Obongi district.
