The Office of the National Chairman (ONC) Manager, SPA Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo Uzeiye, has launched a countrywide seed distribution drive, starting with farmers in Maddu Town Council, Gomba District, as communities prepare for the new planting season. The initiative is aimed at helping farmers access timely agricultural inputs and return to production following the recently concluded election period.
Speaking to farmers and local leaders during the exercise, held amid a heavy downpour, Namyalo said prolonged drought had affected agricultural production and household livelihoods in several communities. She said some ONC empowerment activities had been scaled down during the election period, but stressed that the focus should now return to production, household incomes and economic empowerment.
“We have finished the election period and now it is time for work,” Namyalo told the gathering, urging farmers to take advantage of the rains and return to their gardens. She said the ONC had provided maize and bean seeds, fertilisers, pesticides and other agricultural inputs to help farmers prepare their gardens and improve production.
Namyalo urged beneficiaries to use the inputs for their intended purpose and work together to ensure the support produces tangible results. She said agriculture remains an important source of household income and food security, particularly when farmers receive planting inputs at the right time and make effective use of the available rainy seasons.
The intervention was welcomed by local leaders, who also called for broader empowerment programmes targeting youth and women. Maddu NRM Chairperson Julius Kibirige said the area’s 19 villages need interventions that can strengthen household incomes, while Mayor Alali Muhiirwa Kabaleega appealed for support with practical equipment, including sewing machines, popcorn-making machines, bricklaying equipment and salon equipment, to help residents establish income-generating activities.
Responding to the appeals, Namyalo said the agricultural support would be complemented by other empowerment interventions, including equipment for welding, bricklaying and other vocational activities. She urged local leaders to identify active beneficiaries who are ready to put the support to productive use, saying the broader objective is to create sustainable livelihoods. The Maddu exercise marks the start of a wider ONC effort to support farmers and communities as Uganda enters another planting season.
