163 Amolatar farmers’ groups to benefit from climate smart agriculture project

9 May 2025, 6:25 pm

By Sarah Ejang

A total of 163 farmers’ groups, out of 217 verified by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) and registered across different selected value chains, are set to receive a marketing grant from the Uganda Climate Smart Agricultural Transformation Project.

This information was shared on 9 May 2025 during a meeting of the district and lower local government committee, convened to prepare for the sanitisation of farmers’ groups at the education hall.

The meeting aimed to establish an implementation team for fieldwork, review the progress of the project, and make recommendations.

Additionally, the meeting sought to agree on a harmonised sector sanitisation message, guided by the project’s sector guidelines covering fisheries, crops, livestock, and beneficial insects.

Plans were also made for training in institutional development for the beneficiary groups, alongside task assignments.

Mr. Okello Samuel Dulson, the focal point person for the Uganda Climate Smart Agricultural Transformation Project in Amolatar, explained that this is a co-funded initiative, with farmers’ groups contributing 20% and the government covering 80%.

He further explained that the project’s value chains include livestock (dairy and beef), fisheries (fish capture and aquaculture), and crops (coffee, cocoa, mangoes, citrus, Hass avocado, cashew nuts, cassava, soybeans, sorghum, and maize), as well as beneficial insects related to bee farming and black soldier flies.

The project is set to be implemented across all 16 sub-counties in Amolatar.

Furthermore, the district will benefit from the project, with four road sections identified for improvement: the Acii-Mucora road (6.5 km), Atomoro-Anamido road (5 km), Corner Agoga to Agoga road (7 km), and Orimai to Epyel road (3 km).

Selected dams within the district will also be constructed, along with other initiatives.

Mr. Dulson highlighted that within the livestock sector, the beef cattle variety requires 30 groups, with 6 groups allocated to each of the five sub-counties: Acii, Nalubwoyo, Muntu, Awelo, and Namsale Town Council. For the mango variety in crops, 50 groups are needed, with 10 groups from each of the five sub-counties: Agwingiri, Muntu, Arwotcek, Akwon, and Namasale Town Council. Regarding the soybeans variety, 20 groups are necessary, with 2 groups in each of the 10 sub-counties: Agwingiri, Muntu, Arwotcek, Akwon, Namasale Town Council, Awelo, Aputi, Acii, Namasale sub-county, and Etam Town Council.

For citrus, 50 groups are required, with 10 groups from each of the five sub-counties: Awelo, Aputi, Acii, Namasale sub-county, and Etam Town Council. In fisheries, the capture fish variety requires 12 groups, with 6 groups in each of the two sub-counties: Namasale Town Council and Namasale sub-county.

Additionally, for beneficial insects, 10 groups of black soldier flies are needed from the sub-counties of Amolatar Town Council, Namasale Town Council, Etam Town Council, Aputi, and Nalubwoyo, while 45 groups of bees are required from all 16 sub-counties in the district.

Deizy Ekaa, Principal Assistant Secretary at Amolatar District Local Government, representing the CAO, stated that the project aims to enhance productivity, market access, and resilience within the selected value chains in the project area, while also responding effectively to crises.

Meanwhile, Assistant Resident District Commissioner Amolatar, Sarah Tyan, emphasised the importance and benefits of all government programmes for its members.

She noted that the individuals who will benefit most from this project are those who have effectively utilised their PDM.

Furthermore, she mentioned that the selection process was based on the available data, urging those who might complain to consider the information they provided during the census.

She also encouraged leaders to engage with farmers in order to maximise the benefits of this co-funded project.

Amolatar is one of 69 districts implementing the Uganda Climate Smart Agricultural Transformation Project.