As Uganda continues to struggle with water shortages and erratic rainfall, farmers in Rakai District are calling for a shift in government priorities.
They are urging authorities to redirect funds from the Parish Development Model (PDM) toward improving irrigation systems, which they believe will help them better cope with frequent droughts.
The farmers argue that the PDM’s current focus on individual support, through UGX 100 million allocated to each parish SACCO annually, doesn’t address the broader challenges threatening their agricultural output.
Many farmers in Rakai say that while the PDM has provided much-needed financial relief, it hasn’t solved the root problems of unreliable water access.
With crops wilting due to lack of irrigation, they believe investing in large-scale irrigation infrastructure would boost production and improve food security in the drought-prone region.
Proscovia Namwanje, a commercial farmer from Ddwaniro sub-county, says that despite receiving funds from the Parish Development Model (PDM), the ongoing droughts have severely affected crop production in the area.
She points out that the hilly terrain of the region makes it more prone to dry spells.
To cope, some farmers have resorted to using plastic bottles and jerrycans to water their crops, but these small-scale methods are not enough.
Namwanje believes that if the government focused on installing community-wide irrigation systems, farmers would see far better results than what they currently get from the PDM.
Edward Kamya, another farmer from Byakabanda sub-county, adds that a significant investment in irrigation technologies would ease the burdens of rural farmers and promote cooperative farming practices, thereby improving productivity.
Although Rakai district benefits from the World Bank-funded microscale irrigation projects under the Uganda Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfer Program (UgiFT), Kamya notes that these projects have been limited to a few individuals who meet the strict preconditions.
John Kakande, a farmer from Ddwaniro sub-county, shares that their communities are capable of boosting production if the government provides irrigation services.
He points out that some farmers are forced to hire mobile water tanks, an expensive solution that narrows the profit margin, further emphasizing the need for government intervention.
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