By Weswa Ronnie
SIRONKO
Sironko district has received Shs600M from World Bank under You Gift Micro Scale Irrigation Program which is targeting small scale farmers growing crops like vegetables living alongside water streams.
This was revealed by Francis Nabugodi, the Sironko District Agriculture Officer while speaking to our reporter on Tuesday, 12th November, 2024 in an exclusive interview.
According to Nabukodi, this money was allocated to the district in the Financial Year2024/25 through the Ministry Of Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Husbandry.
He says that for a farmer to benefit, he/she has to pay Shs1M as co-funding before the requisite amount of money is processed.
The money given is strictly for purposes of purchasing irrigation machines which can either be petrol or solar powered.
Nabukodi says that so far 33 farmers from sub counties like Sironko town council, and Bukiyi have registered and have got the machines.
He says that government is aiming to increase on food production and household incomes for farmers by ensuring that they carry out farming throughout the year.
The agriculture officer says that they are targeting farmers alongside river streams because they can use those machines to access and pump water to their gardens.
Rashid Kizangi, one of the farmers who has benefited from the project expressed his happiness saying he can now do farming in the entire year.
He says that before this project, he has been growing maize for only one season due to the fear of being hit by drought.
Sarah Mugide, also a farmer from Bukise Sub County urged government to reduce the taxes on those machines such that all farmers along water streams can engage in the program and access those machines.
