Govt to rehabilitate irrigation scheme

OLWENY Swamp Irrigation Scheme is to be rehabilitated in order to improve farm incomes, food security and rural livelihoods in the northern region.

Henry Bagiire, the state minister of agriculture, said the project will target over 10,000 farmer groups and would be done through sustainable natural resources management and agricultural enterprise.

“We are carrying out environmental impact assessment of the project because it involves carrying out relevant technical investigations and studies, and preparing engineering designs to facilitate rehabilitation and construction structure and supervision of the rehabilitation works,” he said.

The minister, who was speaking to farmers from Lira, Kitgum, Pader and Lamwo, said the Government has obtained money from the African Development Bank under the Uganda farm income enhancement and forest conservation project.
Rice is a priority enterprise in the northern region.
Key players include the small scale farmers of the Rice Growers Multi-purpose Co-operative Society, a remnant of Olweny Swamp Rice Irrigation Project.

However, the rice value chain in the Lango and Acholi subregions faces a poor soil fertility management due to lack of skills in soil and water conservation, lack of improved varieties and modern inputs (ox ploughs and tractors), pest and disease control, the silted canals and a defunct rice scheme system.
There are also poor agronomic practices and ineffective extension services, poor post - harvest handling and storage facilities at farm level. However, the formation of farmer groups has made it conducive for block farming to promote large scale production.

Farmers interviewed said the revival of the Olweny Irrigation Rice Scheme provision of credit to farmers’ would enable them get inputs which would improve household incomes.

When supported, the millers will introduce various packing units that enhance product development to penetrate the topmost market segment within the country.

For increased rice production, a credit scheme to increase access to credit by chain actors to take care of procuring ox-ploughs, harvesting equipment, packaging units, silos and driers should also be put in place.

According to the rural development strategy developed in 2005, the country’s surface area of about 242,000 square Kilometres has 15% open water, 3% permanent wetlands and 9.4% seasonal wetlands.

Out of an estimated six million hectares of cultivated land in Uganda, only 54,000 hectares are being irrigated. Of these, only 2,500 hectares have proper irrigation schemes.