Tekwaro Lango minister for Agriculture Mr. Yuventino Obong has asked the government to embrace the value addition for the crop being produced from Lango Sub Region.
He was speaking while giving the report on Agriculture during a Cabinet meeting held on Friday 23rd/June/2023 where he said Lango produces cash crops but lacks values in the world market since there is poor post-harvest handling.
Obong said much as the government is emphasizing on the growing of coffee but the region should not only rely on it alone but also plant crops that can also help for food production which is also the only way that the community in Lango relies on as the major way of feeding their family.
“The crop that we produce here has low quality when it comes to the world market, more of this is as a result of poor post-harvest handling. Our people must be sensitized on the post-harvest. We should not only stick to growing coffee but we should also emphasize on the growing of crops like sorghum, millet, sweet potatoes among others” Obong said.
He said as the Tekwaro Lango they are all struggling to ensure that fish farming is done in wetlands as the way of combating the mismanagement of wetland and also the growing of crops in the area.
Jerome Angena the minister for Land said that the government should also regulate the prices of commodities that are being produced in Lango. He added that the poor prices of agricultural products has affected the development of communities in Lango and they have remained at the same level.
“There are some of the business people are using the opportunity of the government not regulating the prices to steal from the locals, giving them little money while scooping a lot from them. This has made our struggling community to remain at the same level with low or no money to sustain their family” Angena stated.
RTD Tonny Otoa who is the paramount chief adviser said there are some dangerous chemicals that are being introduced in the region which is affecting the fertility of the soil in the region leading to low yield. He added that even the seeds that are brought some of them are of a poor bridge where the remains do not rot.
Tekwaro Lango Premier Dr. George Ojwang Opota asked the community to embrace the growing of coffee since it’s a generational crop that lasts for years to support their children and the grand-children.
He said that all their struggle is to ensure that the environment is kept through planting of trees in different parts of the region, Ojwng added that the only challenge that they are facing is financing the process of greening Lango
Imat Florence Akello Adoko Kur Ikomi said that the community should embrace the growing of coffee since any other crops can also be grown under and yield good results.
Hajji Musa Ayo Tekwaro Lango paramount chief advisor said that many communities are interested in planting trees but their main challenge is accessing Lira City since many people are poor. He proposed that the team of the premier should organize and use the vehicle to transport these tree seedlings down to the villages.
Edwin Odur Luru the deputy ambassador Tekwaro Lango said they have requested the Uganda national forestry authority to provide them with one million tree seedlings and they agreed to give them in a period of five years.
He added that as a result they continued lobbying for ather donors and some body has offered them one million pots and they are only getting the seed as a way of reducing bureaucracy.
While closing the meeting Tekwaro Lango paramount chief his highness Eng. Dr. Miceal Odongo Okune said that all this can be achieved only if these ministers join hands together in the fight. He added that those who are getting old should not engage in doing things that can bring shame to them like getting loans and adding more women
