Only 39 farmers in Kitgum District have enrolled in the Government of Uganda’s Microscale Irrigation Programme despite 595 initially expressing interest, with district officials attributing the low uptake to high co-funding requirements, limited access to reliable water sources and low farmer participation.
The Uganda Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers (UGIFT) Microscale Irrigation Programme, funded by the Government of Uganda with support from the World Bank, was introduced in Kitgum during the 2023/24 financial year to help farmers transition from rain-fed agriculture to year-round production in response to increasingly erratic weather patterns.
Jacob Okema, the district coordinator of the UGIFT Microscale Irrigation Programme, says, the district has conducted 282 feasibility assessments since the programme was launched, but only 39 farmers have met the eligibility requirements and contributed their share towards the installation of irrigation systems.
Okema says, many applicants failed to qualify because they lacked permanent water sources such as rivers, streams, boreholes or shallow wells, while others could not afford the required contribution.
Before irrigation equipment is installed, extension workers conduct feasibility studies to assess water availability, land size and the most appropriate irrigation technology.
Kitgum Resident District Commissioner Jimmy Segawa Ebil also calls on farmers to embrace irrigation technologies, describing water as the new foundation of agricultural production in the face of changing climate conditions.
By URN
Leave a Reply