NRM party officials in a group photo with MPs and representatives from UCDA
The NRM Deputy Secretary-General, Rose Nsereko Namayanja today Friday hosted a section of Legislators on the Committee of Agriculture and the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) leaders at the party head-offices in Nakasero and discussed several issues related to how the Parish Development Model (PDM) can be used to boost coffee farming in the country.
The MPs asked government to continue facilitating coffee farmers with seedlings throughout the country alongside the implementation of the PDM.
“PDM policy is good because funds get directly to the beneficiaries but we also request that budget for seedlings distribution is maintained if the country is to realize its target of 20M bags of export per year by 2030,” legislators said.
Deputy SG Namayanja said the NRM leadership is committed to ensuring that more people embrace coffee growing and production so as to boost growth and development.
“We aim at sensitizing more and more people to engage in growing coffee in sub-regions like Karamoja, Acholi among others. We are sure that through affirmative action of the coffee sector, more people will be recruited into this profitable business,” Namayanja said.
She said the NRM leadership is committed to continue engaging all development partners and government to improve agriculture.
Iyamulemye said coffee should be considered as an investment which is costly.
Coffee seedlings contribute 22% of the cost of establishing a farm of one hectare (2.5 acres) which is considered a minimum area for commercial production.
“Loan from PDM SACCO is not adequate to the cost of seedlings. Government should contribute 70% of the cost of seedlings while farmers contribute 30% of the cost,” Iyamulemye said.
-NRM
