Leaders from the two Districts of Namayingo and Amuria have revealed that the only way the government can kick poverty out of the country is through micro-scale irrigation to increase production.
This is because several farmers in the districts are reaping big from different projects with some farmers earning close to Shs10 million monthly.
Leading a team from the Ministry of Finance and World Bank is John Bwire, a resident of Namayombe village Buhemba sub-county in Namayingo district. He is among the many farmers who are reaping from the use of micro-scale irrigation under the Ugift program in the Eastern region.
Through the program, Bwire was supported with irrigation equipment worth Shs17 million and using his 10-acre piece of land, he kicked off the cultivation of maize, Beans, tomatoes and bananas which are harvested throughout the seasons.
Having been empowered with knowledge of mixed farming, Bwire equally opted for dairy farming. He has about 8 dairy cows which fetch him a daily income of about five hundred thousand shillings. This is in addition to earnings from crops.
Away from here is yet another farmer in the neighbourhood. He is equally earning big from the growing and sale of vegetables.
The Chief Administrative Officer of Namayingo District, Edith Namayega says the two are few of the many successful farmers in the district currently doing well through the U-gift project.
In Amuria District under the Ugift phase II program, different demonstration sites have been established in different institutions to enable farmers to learn how best the micro-scale irrigation project works before rolling it out.
Though the program has not been massively rolled out, leaders here are optimistic that it will change lives.
Of the 500 million dollars received through the Ugift project, close to 200 million has been put into agriculture purposely to boost food production in the country and improve livelihood.
