By Brian Atuhura
Masindi district chairperson Cosnmas Byaruhanga has called upon Community Based Facilitators (CBF's) to use the bicycles for extending the agricultural services to farmers in hard to reach area to enable them improve on their lively hoods.
while handing over 18 bicycles to 18 Community Based facilitators under the Agriculture Cluster Development Project (ACDP) at the District Headquarters, Byaruhanga challenged the beneficiaries saying that the farmers have not been getting adequate knowledge on ago-inputs, but now with the provision of easy and quick means of transport, he expects the production of farmers to increase and also increase on their household incomes with the knowledge that they will obtain from the Community Based facilitators.
Speaking at the same function , the Principal Assistant Chief Administrative Officer (PACAO), Richard Kiiza explained the plight that the community Based Facilitators have gone through most especially with no transport and delays in facilitation. But with the provision of bicycles and effecting payment of their facilitation, he expects the CBF's to perform their duties smoothly.
He has however, questioned against misuse of the bicycles. Additionally, he said he hopes that in the next phase, the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Fisheries will provide motorcycles to the CBF's.
He said, of recently MAAIF under the ACDP project injected more than shillings 484 millions as matching grant to the agro-processing projects with an aim of increasing the quality of production.
Mean while, the ACDP focal person Job Byaruhanga disclosed that the total number of bicycles that the district received were 23 meant for 23 Community Based Facilitators. But he told the beneficiaries that 5 CBF's left the project and they were replaced with new staff who are waiting for the appointment letters in order to receive their bicycles.