Africa-Press – Uganda. BY
. Milk farmers and leaders in Nakaseke District have welcomed a move by government to rehabilitate a 33km road stretch, which they say is key in selling their products.
On October 20, government through the Local Economic Growth Support Project (LEGS) funded by the Islamic Development Bank commissioned the works for a number of roads in 10 districts.
The roads will be graveled at a cost of Shs2b in a project expected to be complete in four months.
“The Islamic Development Bank through the government is funding the access roadworks upgrade totaling to 129kms in 10 selected districts under the Local Economic Growth Support Project. Nakaseke District has been allocated 33kms out of the 129kms shared by the other 10 districts,” Mr Fred Bamwine, the Nakaseke Resident District Commissioner, who represented the Minister for Local Government, Mr Raphael Magyezi, at the commissioning of roadworks, said.
He added: “Under the Project, the 10 benefiting districts will also benefit from the water for enhanced agricultural production and environment, the value chain for vegetable and milk processing among other projects.”
The road is often used by the farmers to transport milk to collection centres and markets but has for the last five years been in a sorry state.
Issue
An estimated 1,000 litres of milk are lost per day as a result of the poor road network.
The farmers say many times, they have had to abandon the milk after they fail to maneuver the stretch especially in the wet season.
“It is true that we have the milk collection centres and milk coolers targeting the farmers from far areas but the losses we make through the Wanjaga swamp including the other road sections that are in a sorry state becomes unbearable,” Mr Ismail Ssendisa, a milk dealer, said in an interview on October 23.
He added: “We are not beggars but the losses we make due to the bad road network makes us become beggars. It is good news that the leaders have announced a plan to have the road upgraded.”
Mr Emmanuel Namanya, a milk dealer, said some livestock farmers are sometimes forced to sell the milk at Shs300 per litre down from Shs700.
Mr Enoch Nyongore, the Nakaseke North MP, said improving the road network will be a major breakthrough for the farmers.
“The new intervention is a welcome move to save the farmers from losses. We also believe that once government implements the presidential promise to have the road fund for each district increased to Shs1b every year, the districts will have the capacity to maintain a bigger section of the roads,” Ms Nyongore said.
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