Northern Uganda Tractor Owners, Operators, mechanics, and Farmers SACCO is in the process of acquiring three tractors in a bid to ease opening of land by small holder farmers in Nwoya district.

Robert Achac Okok, the Chairperson of NUTOFA says the tractors are being acquired under a partnership with Nwoya district local government, Microfinance support center and Islamic Bank under the Local economic growth project.

Okok explains that the cooperative will be supported with a 60 % grant by the Islamic bank  to acquire the tractors which will support farmers to open land at a subsidized rate.

The use of the hand hoes has restricted many farmers in Northern Uganda to farming small pieces of land despite owning large acres of land.

Okok says that the demand for tractors has been overwhelming as more farmers venture into large scale farming.

He notes that there are 2,391 tractors in Northern Uganda but that half of them (about 1195 tractors) have broken down.

By Justine Muboka