RUKIGA- Authorities in Rukiga District in partnership with Lets Change My Village (LCM), a community based organization and Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) Association on Monday launched a daily LCM Agro-ecology farmers market in Noozi Parish, Mparo town Council which will only deal in agro-ecological products and indigenous foods.
Speaking during the launch that coincided with the celebrations of Green Action Week 2024 held at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Rwabatungu Village in Mparo Town Council of Rukiga District, the Founder of LCM, Mr Alexander Atuyamba, urged farmers to utilize the market to boost household income and fight poverty as well as diseases.
“We started this private market which will be operating on a daily basis, and the major purpose is to ensure that farmers supply their produce to the market. Don’t wait for Saturday to go and purchase the food, use this market and again the third reason is to remove the middle men because this being a farmers market, they will sell their produce directly”, Mr Atuyamba said
He added “ al lets change my village, we are promoting Agro-ecology and this market will only be receiving produce from its members and these members will be growing their crops organically, but this requires a lot of collaboration and patternships and a lot of support even from the government. We urge all partners to come and support us to ensure that we reach far and not only concentrate in Noozi and we reach all parts of the district and the region”.
Mr Atuyamba implored farmers to focus on agro-ecology, which involves agricultural practices such as organic farming that increase agricultural yields while reducing environmental degradations.
“We are avoiding monoculture, so we grow different crop species, and this kind of set-up helps to do self-regulation within the farm. It minimize pests and disease within the farm, therefore, if you feed your soli very well, if you use health soils using different principles of Agro-ecology, you will be able to manage your farm and produce health crops” he added
The day was held under the theme “restoration and conservation of natural forests in Kigezi region” and different tree specials were planted at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Rwabatungu Village as part of the efforts to encourage the public to plant more trees.
Speaking as the Chief Guest during the event, the Rukiga District Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Zadock Kamusiime, said embracing agro-ecological products and eating indigenous foods will help to reduce the burden of the rising cases of cancers and cardiovascular diseases.
“We have eaten food that is contaminated with pesticides and this has led to the rise of cancers, so this is the medicine, ok, these pesticides are dangerous. Secondly, when you grow together and sell together, it is easy to develop, so this market is a blessing to this area” RDC Kamusiime said
In her remarks, the Country Coordinator for PELUM Uganda, Ms Grace Payesu, who represented the company executive director, called on farmers to practice agroforestry sustainable practices, which will help to prevent soil erosion and other negative effects of climate change.
“Thank you for supporting Alex to change this village. We are here today to campaign for afforestation or to restore natural forests in the Kigezi region. We all bear with to witness that a lot is happening because of climate change. When you look at the hill now, you realize that a lot is happening and we caused it to ourselves. I recall that Kigezi used to be very cold before, but this is not this is not the case now; I don’t know if you believe me, I think we last received rain last weekend, it’s been dry and that’s a bad sign. We are here to encourage you to plant trees” Ms Payesu said.
