National Resistance Movement (NRM) National Treasurer, Barbara Nekesa Oundo has urged farmers in Busia District to embrace technology, irrigation and value addition to boost productivity and move out of subsistence farming.
Speaking at the inaugural Busia Local Government Agricultural Show at Masafu Play Grounds on Friday, Nekesa said small landholdings should no longer be a barrier to wealth creation if farmers adopt modern farming methods and work collectively through groups and cooperatives.
She warned that land fragmentation had become a major challenge in the district, with average household landholdings falling below two acres compared to the national average of about 3.2 acres.
“Rapid population growth has led to severe subdivision of family land. Farmers should avoid fragmenting land and instead hold it jointly and pursue shared commercial ventures,” she said.
Nekesa said government programmes such as the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), Operation Wealth Creation, the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga had helped reduce the proportion of households engaged in subsistence farming from 68 per cent in 2013 to about 30 per cent today.
She said the government now aims to eliminate the remaining gap within the next five years through increased investment in mechanisation, irrigation, improved seed varieties and value addition.
The NRM treasurer also called on farmers to adopt climate-smart agricultural practices, arguing that irrigation and resilient crop varieties would help mitigate the effects of climate change and support year-round production.
She further encouraged farmers to form cooperatives to improve access to financing, extension services and shared farm machinery, saying collective action would strengthen productivity and market competitiveness.
Nekesa said growing urban populations and an expanding middle class were creating new market opportunities for agricultural products, but farmers would need to increase production and invest in processing to maximize profits.
She urged farmers to utilise government-backed financing opportunities offered through financial institutions participating in the agricultural show and called on banks to intensify financial literacy and sensitisation campaigns among rural communities.
The inaugural agricultural show brought together farmers, government officials, financial institutions, researchers and agricultural extension workers to showcase innovations aimed at accelerating agricultural transformation in Busia District.
