By Mike Rwothomio 

Local government leaders from West Nile’s districts of Zombo, Nebbi and Arua have been urged to intergrate trained farmers under the five year Dutch-funded power of voices project (PvP) in their areas of jurisdiction, to champion sustainability and improved their livelihoods.

Since the inception in 2020, the project set to conclude in December 2025, has strengthened and build capacity of over 1000 male and female farmers under the onion value chain through advocacy activities, trainings on global GAP, seed support and exchange learning visits to seasoned onion farmers across the region and as well as enhancing access to markets, adopt better agronomic, postharvest handling, financial and business management practices.

Muddy Oyikuru, a project officer at AFCE, one of the projects implementing partners speaking during a recent three days intensive training organized for some selected farmers at Daudi courts in Paidha town council, Zombo district, called on the government to enhance capacity of these farmers through incorporating them into government programs specifically the Parish Development Model.

“ we have been working together with the government since the inception of the project until now, It will be good if the government continues to also link these farmers to other government programs like right now we have PDM program such that they are able to get money and also invest in horticultural crops, such strategy will also enhance sustainability” Oyikuru said in an interview, urging farmers to continue putting the knowledge and skills acquired over the years, to boost production and improved livelihoods.

Relatedly, Beatrice Manenu,a Community Based consultant for Anyavu Micro station, Logiri sub county, Arua district, lauded UAA for organizing such an intensive training for the farmers, adding that “ these farmers have enough knowledge and skills, the government should support them through opportunities like PDM especially the farmers from Arua.some have got these money whilst others have not got, so we urge the government to support them”

Government introduced a milestone ecomomy masterstroke called PDM, rolled out in 2022, to alleviate poverty amongst the 39 percent of Ugandans locked in susbsistence to uplift their status into the money economy.

Apparently, thousands of Ugandans from over 10,000 parishes across the country have received the revolving funds and are able to tell success stories of these poverty alleviation venture.

According to extension workers , with the over 1000 skilled farmers under power of voices project, if government empower them with PDM funds, they will channel the funds appropriately in well identified entreprises they have more knowledge in.

Additionally, lead farmer Ezekiel Onyuthi, farmer at Gonyubendu Micro station in Erussi Sub county Nebbi district acknowledged extensive farming skills attained under the project in the past five years, decrying the delayed parish development Model disbursement process in his district.

“ To do farming as a business, it needs more money,now we have the knowleddge,we urge the government to give us PDM, the disbursement process is slow in our area. Most of us have not got the money” Onyuthi explained.

A government official said “ let these farmers join groups through established PDM village and parish structures in their respective areas, im sure they will get the funds just like other people are getting”

The training for the farmers was spearhead Uganda Agribusiness Alliance (UAA) bringing together eighteen (18) farmers and 6 Community Based Trainers (CBTs) from six Micro Stations across Arua, Nebbi, and Zombo Districts.

The training had practical sessions aimed at strengthening farmers’ skills in onion and garlic agronomy, climate-smart agricultural practices, post-harvest handling, value addition, business development, and financial management.These components form the core of the ongoing effort to equip smallholder farmers with the knowledge and capacity needed to produce high-quality onions for competitive markets.

Speaking at the session, Kukunda Medias, Consultant Agronomist with the Uganda Agribusiness Alliance, underscored the significance of the training as the project enters its final phase.

"This refresher training is designed to reinforce the knowledge and practical skills farmers have gained over the last five years,” she said, adding, “Our focus over these three days is to ensure that farmers continue to improve productivity, adopt climate-smart practices, build their capacity in value addition and effectively position their onions for wider market opportunities at national, regional and global level.”

Kukunda also urged farmers to frequently consult each other for the extension of more knowledge and increased production.

Muddy Oyikuru, project Officer AFCE

Farmers actively participated as knowledgeable facilitators on onion farming pumped them with extensive knowledge that will help them blossom the lucrative onion production in future.

Meanwhile Moses Openjmungu, an Agricultural Officer for Zombo town council, noted the timely coming in of project, highlighting that the area is facing challenges in horticultural production.

Openjmungu challenged farmers to ensure the project impact their lives, calling for "sustainability and application of value addition and prevention of post harvest losses", equally rallying for shared knowledge and consultation amongst farmers to circumvent avoidable agricultural losses.

The training initiative forms part of the broader “Power of Voices Project” (PvP), started in 2020 and due to end in December 2025, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs through Oxfam and implemented by UAA in partnership with the Agency for Community Empowerment (AFCE), SEATINI Uganda, ESAFF Uganda, and CSBAG Uganda.

They have also been supported to enhance their access to market, and adopt better agronomic, postharvest handling, financial and business management practices.

Medias Kukunda of UAA.

The objectives of the training under the "Power of Voices project" (PvP) is to strengthen farmers and Community based trainers capacity in post harvest handling on garlic and Onion, build capacity of farmers in onion and garlic production on agronomic practices, enhance knowledge on value addition, financial and business management, prepare farmers and partners for project closure and sustainability of interventions, promote adoption of best practices to improve incomes, reduce losses and enhance competitions.

Uganda is a low-income country with a predominantly agrarian economy.Since Agriculture remains the backbone of national development, employing over 70 per cent of the population, the majority of whom reside in rural areas, the Uganda Agribusiness Alliance reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to supporting farmers beyond the life of the project, noting that the gains made over the last five years provide a strong foundation for continued growth in the onion sector across the West Nile region.

Mike Rwothomio is news editor at zoomer Africa, your number one grassroot information hub