Namayingo district was rolled under phase 2 of the Micro-scale Irrigation Program (UgIFT). The objective of the program is to support smallholder farmers acquire irrigation equipment and use them to engage in commercial oriented farming growing coffee, horticulture (vegetables & fruits) and pasture. Most farmers are being affected by climate change since rains don’t match with the known seasons.

This is a government program hosted under the production department at Namayingo district. The whole of the financial Year 2022/2023 has been creating awareness about the program to local leaders and farmers and farmers will start acquiring equipment in October 2023. 

Stages involved

1. Awareness raising (through meetings, WhatsApp, Radio, TVs & Website)
2. Farmer expresses interest through sub-county or district Agricultural Officer
3. Farmer receives a call preparing them for farm visit (farm visit takes atleast 3 hours)
4. Farm visit conducted for the prepared farmer (Assessing the water & land resources, farmer makes choice of irrigation equipment, farmer knows his/her co-funding range
5. Farmer makes part of his/her co-payment of 1 million as commitment fee to initiate procurement etc

The local leaders were sensitized from the district including the heads of department, RDC, CAO, LC5, DEC, DISO, District Council to the sub-county Leaders; SACAO, LC3, Technical staff, sub-county council, GISO, and later to Parish where LC2 chairperson, LC1 chairpersons, Opinion leaders.

Having sensitized the leaders, they were requested to mobilise farmers to express interest in the program through Agricultural Officers at the sub-county or the District Agricultural Office headed by the Senior Agricultural Officer and the Senior Agricultural Engineer.

Program progress

Awareness Raising of local leaders

• 1 District leaders’ meeting (RDC,DISO, CAO, LC5, DEC, District Council, Heads of Department)
• 11 Sub-county Leaders Meetings
• 50 Parish leaders Meetings

Awareness of farmers

• 1 Farmers meeting of PWDs & Youths
• 3 Farmers meeting of Women in Banda, Buhemba & Mutumba
• 1 Farmer Exchange Visit in Tororo (farmers who had expressed interest)

Expression of Interest (EOI)

• 284 Successful EOIs (Buyinja & Sigulu having highest at 41, Banda Town Council having the lowest at 8)

Preparations for Farm visits

• 144 farmers received phone call preparing them for farm visit

Farm visits

• 88 farm visits successful
• 12 Ongoing & 5 unsuccessful due to lack of water sources to support irrigation

Pictorial of Leaders Meeting at District