Arua district farmers receive maize seeds through their area Members of parliament.

By Godwin Abedican

Arua

Selected Farmers in Arua district have received maize seeds from the government. The seeds distributed through the offices of the Member of Parliament for Vurra constituency Hon. Yovan Adriko and the woman Member of Parliament Arua district Hon. Lilian Paparu were given to farmers who had at least one acre of garden ready for planting. The Long 3 maize variety seeds come as part of government support to the farmers across the country.

According to Christine Dezu from Embeva village Vurra Sub county one of beneficiaries, in the recent past when seeds are distributed, it does not reach to the intended beneficiaries “At least we have received the seeds, we are now going to plant them. We need to fight hunger in Vurra. People should now get the courage to dig” she said.

Speaking during the handover of the seeds, Nancy Anguparu, the agriculture extension worker for Vurra Sub County said, they decided to go for model farmers to ease follow-up. “The district agricultural officer carried out the germination test, it was about 90 percent. As extension workers, we were fully involved” Anguparu admitted. She refuted allegations that when government distributes seeds to the farmers, extension workers don’t follow, saying it’s a baseless claim. She cites challenges with farmers further subdividing what they receive among family members which makes impact tracing very difficult for them.

Meanwhile, John Bosco Odama the LC 3 Logiri Sub County and the Chairperson of the LC 3s in the district regrets the high rates of laziness among the youth who don’t want to take up farming. “Issues to do with farming, no one should now joke. For those who think it’s good to sit by the roadside daily doing nothing, it is okay go ahead. For me in my sub county I have urged those who want to be by the road side to join companies that pay people for road maintenance if they think working on the road is the only  option they have, other than just waking up to go and sit by the road side doing nothing.

Currently Cassava floor is almost two thousand per kilogram, has that been there before? A small basin of beans is now twenty thousand, there should be no joke with farming because hunger is becoming real” he bitterly explained.

Geoffrey Okiswa, Arua Resident district Commissioner appealed to farmers to use the seeds properly to fight poverty. The RDC warned the farmers against crossing the border in to the democratic Republic of Congo to sell government farm inputs.

Hon. Yovan Adriko during an interview after the distribution of seeds

Hon. Yovan Adriko, the Member of Parliament for Vurra constituency clarified on the seeds saying these were not bought by any leader but is being distributed under government programs, urging the residents not to accept any claim by any leader that they are the ones who have brought the seeds for their electorates. “This is a government program. Our work is only to lobby and we don’t have money to buy such things to be distributed. No one should claim that this is fulfilment of his or her manifesto. NO. These are government procured seeds” Adriko Clarified.

Each of the four sub counties, Vurra, Logiri, Arivu and Ajia received 100 bags of 10kg packages of the maize seeds with 100 bags reserved for the special interest groups and religious institutions across the district.

COVER PHOTO: One of the beneficiary farmers picking her seeds By Godwin Abedican