Dokolo: Agriculture ministry launches regional agricultural mechanization centre

The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries has launched the Northern Region Agricultural Mechanisation Centre at Agwata sub-county in Dokolo district.

The project is intended to increase household incomes among the local communities in northern Uganda through increased agricultural production.

The launch was presided over by the minister of state for Agriculture, Henry Aggrey Bagiire

According to the officials, the facility, which houses assorted heavy earth moving equipment, is the first of five that will be rolled out across the country.

In a statement, Bagiire said the equipment will help farmers in the region to construct and rehabilitate dams and valley tanks.

He noted that the equipment will also be able to construct aquaculture facilities, irrigation canals and drainage channels among others.

According to Bagiire, the ministry is committed to improving agricultural mechanization as it’s a sure way of improving production and productivity”.

He stated that the centre will be used by individual farmers, groups, community or institutions such as NGOs, government projects, local governments, or any other funding agency.

“Beneficiaries will pay for daily hire rates which are highly subsidized up to about 60%,” he said.

He said that another regional agricultural mechanization centre will be unveiled in Kiryandongo, Mbale and Buwama as soon as possible.

Agriculture is one of the five strategic sectors that was identified by the National Development Plan (NDP II) to help transform Uganda’s economy from low to middle income status.

According to statistical abstract, 2017,the agricultural sector employs about 72% of the total labour force.

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