By Nathan Eyagu
SERERE
Farmers in the Eastern District of Serere have joined hands and formed a cooperative society called SUFACOS (Serere United Farmers’ Co-operative Society.)
SUFACOS was launched on Saturday 11th, June 2022 at Serere District Grounds in a ceremony graced by the District Woman Member of Parliament and also Minister of State for Fisheries, Hon. Hellen Adoa.
The Co-operative Society was founded in 2021 and legally registered with the aim of promoting the mutual interests of the farmers in the three sectors of livestock, fish farming and apiculture.
Francis Etendu, the National Coordinator Community breeding programming promised to work with the farmers of Teso to have a change in what they rear.
Etendu said they have supported different districts in training for breeding through working with farmer groups so that inputs are easily delivered and further advised the farmers to form more groups in terms of animal reproduction.
He advised the farmers to closely work with the District Veterinary Officers and also asked the district to support the Veterinary Officers with fuel to help in delivering Artificial insemination inputs to farmers.
“We are soon to have a plant of liquid nitrogen in Soroti in the 300 hectares of land provided by Soroti district, the plant will help provide services in the entire Teso sub region as it will help in the artificial insemination,” he added.
DISO Serere district, Katagwa Christopher who represented the Serere district RDC during the ceremony urged residents to preserve the wetlands in whatever activity they do and encouraged the youth to join agriculture.
“As a sub region, Teso has great potential in the production of livestock, fish and apiculture while the vast communally owned rangelands on the one hand provide a huge expanse of land requisite for livestock and fish farming, citrus production venture for Teso fruit factory on the other hand offers farmers an opportunity to integrate apiculture into their farm enterprises,” Steven Ochola the LC5 serere district said.
He further added that for Teso to exploit this great production potential and opportunity in the three value chains, there is need for robust and stable institutional, policy and legal frame works.
“As a brother from the opposition side of the political divide, I pray that we put aside our differences in political ideology and first focus on the development of our people, in order to achieve all these, we need the wetlands and communal grazing land demarcated and surveyed and we count on the ministry of environment to help us on this exercise,” he added.
Meanwhile Adoa promised to support the cooperative once members prove to be well organised saying government has all it takes to support organised groups of farmers.
“Let not the group start getting divided when money starts coming in but rather stay focused and look at development so that you will all improve on your livelihoods and having a very big number of farmers registered yet they are not cooperative isn’t good, it’s better to have a small number when you all have the same mindset, rearing is the way to go as in Teso sub region currently, we don’t have enough land, let’s accept to stay around one place and use the remaining space for development,” she added.
Minister Adoa also revealed that the government has agreed to set up a breeding Centre at Serere research station for the Ministry of Agriculture.
The works are expected to start in the next financial year.
The minister later handed over a humble contribution of Shs5,000,000 to the farm group to boost up their development.
