Africa-Press – Uganda. Agriculture experts have skilled smallholder farmers from Karamoja Sub-region on post-harvest techniques, a move aimed at increasing productivity and household incomes.
Mr Julius Esanyu, the project coordinator for Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) , told farmers that now is the time to transition from subsistence to commercial farming.
“It is important to invest in agriculture and participate in government programmes such as the Parish Development Model (PDM) to maximise crop yields and improve post-harvest processing and storage facilities,’’ he said.
He made the remarks during an agricultural event that shed light on evolving challenges and opportunities facing farmers in a rapidly changing world in Obalangit Sub-county, Karenga District, last Friday.
Mr Peter Lokiro, a farmer from Karenga District, said: “We used to have a lot of difficulties in storage and marketing our grains because after harvesting, a farmer had to transport the grains on a boda boda up to Kaabong District, a distance of about 40 kilometres, but when Sasakawa association came in, we formed an organisation and this made marketing easier.”
Mr Julius Etwany, the chairperson of Abim West Farmers Network, said: “Sasakawa Africa Association has empowered us. In 2022, we bulked and sold 100 metric tonnes of maize grains. During the first season of this year, we sold 120 metric tonnes of maize to the World Food Programme.”
The central focus of Friday’s activities was the exhibition of post-harvest technologies, with the intent to increase awareness among farmers in adopting the innovations.
“The objective of the event was to provide farmers with insights in optimal agricultural marketing and post-harvest practices,’’ Mr Esanyu said.
Notable participants included the district councillors, technical officers from both the sub-county and district, and representatives from non-governmental organisations.
During the event, there were demonstrations on agricultural production and post-harvest technologies of storage and processing such as maize shellers, sorghum threshers, millet threshers, groundnut threshers, bean shellers, solar-powered irrigation systems, power spray pumps, hermetic storage, and hand-operated tillers.
Karenga Resident District Commissioner Geoffrey Philbert Ochailap told locals to collaborate with SAA experts to add value to produce.
The agricultural event attended by more than 1,000 farmers was financed by the United Nations World Food Programme.
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