Farmers
in Bugisu sub region have urged the government to streamline policies enabling
cross-border trade in agricultural produce, especially maize, which faces
restricted access to markets in neighboring Kenya.
Masitula Nangwali, a prominent maize farmer from Namisindwa
District, laments the inability to sell her produce across the border despite
harvesting 20,000 tonnes of maize each season. She notes that while maize
prices in Uganda range from UGX 500 to UGX 1,000 per kilogram, prices in Kenya
are significantly higher, between UGX 2,500 and UGX 3,000.
Ronald Mayatsa, a youthful farmer in Bulambuli District
criticized Operation Wealth Creation for providing seeds without ensuring market
access for the produce.
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and
Other People Working in Rural Areas (UNDROP), adopted in 2018, outlines rights
to food, land, water, and seeds. However, Uganda has not domesticated the
declaration, which could address cross-border trade challenges.
Alfred Sekele, the District Production Officer in Bulambuli,
highlighted that the domestication of UNDROP would boost production and involve
vulnerable groups in agriculture.
Lydia Wanyoto, NRM Women’s
League chairperson, called on MPs from Bugisu to raise the issue in Parliament,
emphasizing that the free movement of goods aligns with the East Africa
Community Agenda 2050 to promote production, food security, and regional
trade.
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