WESTERN UGANDA: Farmers and traders in the Ankole region are demanding that the government provide a market for their products.
The farmers who are attending the first Greater Ankole Symposium say their agricultural products are rotting away or are sold cheaply at the peak of the harvest because of limited markets. More than 1,000 farmers, traders, and innovators are attending the symposium organised by Operation Wealth Creation and the Uganda Development Bank.
Silver Tumwesigye, a grape farmer in Nyabushozi, says the taxes levied on local products are damaging the local products in the world market, especially in terms of competition. He explains that they pay 2,000 shillings per bottle as tax while the product is sold at 18,000 shillings per bottle.
He says the local industries lack protection from the government against international industries.
Deus Tumusiime, the Chairperson of the Ankole Fish Farmers Association, says they have adequate fish for sale but lack a market. He says that they are also facing challenges from the high cost of fish food compared to the price of the fish on the market.
Dr. Edward Kazire, the Managing Director of Kazire Health Products, wants the government to invest in research that will create a favourable environment for farmers.
Prof Pamela Mbabazi, the Executive Chairperson of the National Planning Authority (NPA), says investments done in the country are focused on creating employment but the market is not being considered. She advised farmers and traders to look for specific commodities and sell them on the regional market.
Gen Salim Saleh, the Coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation-OWC, says that the government has invested much in production and neglected marketing, which has left a farmer with no power at all in the chain of agriculture.
He says more money is needed for the processing of the agricultural outputs as per the demand in the market. According to Saleh, there is a high production of beans and milk, but the price given to the farmer is less than the money earned by a trader at the Busia Border.
He also said that marketing is the biggest cost in selling a product, especially in a competitive market, and if empowered alongside production, Uganda will quickly and steadily develop.