Nakaseke North County MP Prof. Wilber Manyisa Ahebwa has stepped up efforts to boost agriculture in the constituency, donating 4,000 coffee seedlings and 100 kilogrammes of high-quality maize seed to farmers in Kinyogogo Sub-county.
The support is aimed at helping farmers increase food production, improve household incomes and move from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture.
Handing over the farm inputs, Prof. Ahebwa urged beneficiaries to put the planting materials to proper use and embrace modern farming practices to improve productivity.
He said quality planting materials can play a major role in transforming rural households by giving farmers an opportunity to establish profitable enterprises and secure sustainable sources of income.
The coffee beneficiaries welcomed the donation, saying the seedlings would enable them to establish coffee gardens that could generate income for their families for years to come.
They pledged to plant, weed and maintain the seedlings properly until they mature into productive coffee trees, while calling for continued support to enable more farmers to join commercial agriculture.
Farmers who received maize seed also said the intervention would help boost food security while allowing them to sell surplus produce and earn additional income.
Prof. Ahebwa further encouraged farmers to work together, adopt improved farming methods and take advantage of government agricultural programmes designed to increase household incomes.
Ahebwa Takes Livestock Fight to Ministry
As part of his wider campaign to improve agriculture in Nakaseke North, Prof. Ahebwa also met State Minister for Animal Industry Hon. Bright Rwamirama to discuss the challenges facing cattle farmers in the constituency.
The two leaders discussed prolonged drought, animal diseases, inadequate water for livestock, low productivity and other challenges affecting cattle farmers.
Ahebwa said livestock farming remains a major source of livelihood for many families in Nakaseke North, making the sector a priority for his office.
He pledged to continue engaging the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries to ensure that farmers in the constituency benefit from government programmes aimed at improving livestock production.
Minister Rwamirama, on his part, pledged government support for cattle farmers through modern livestock equipment and technologies designed to improve productivity.
He also promised to promote improved cattle breeds and breeding programmes to increase milk and beef production.
Rwamirama said the government would continue strengthening veterinary services, fighting animal diseases, expanding water-for-production initiatives and equipping farmers with modern livestock management skills.
The meeting ended with both leaders pledging to work together to modernise livestock farming, improve cattle quality and productivity, and raise household incomes across Nakaseke North.
The interventions are part of broader efforts to transform farming in the constituency from largely subsistence production into commercially viable agriculture.
