By Shivan Ayebare
Farmers in Rubanda District have received hybrid maize seeds under an initiative by the District Woman Member of Parliament, Evelyne Ninsiima Kikafunda, to increase food production and household incomes.
The distribution, launched at Bubaare Sub-county headquarters, has covered Bubaare, Hamurwa, Ikumba and Ruhija sub-counties, each receiving 400 kilogrammes of hybrid maize seeds for selected farmers.
Speaking on behalf of the legislator, Francine Turyazayo, the Woman District Councillor for Hamuhambo Town Council and Bubaare Sub-county, urged beneficiaries to plant the seeds rather than sell or consume them.
Turyazayo said the seeds were of good quality and advised farmers to follow proper farming practices to obtain better yields. She warned that selling the seeds for immediate financial gain would defeat the purpose of the distribution.
Moses Ndamira, commonly known as Customer, a resident of Nyungu Village in Kashenyi Parish, said the seeds had arrived as farmers prepared for the planting season.
He acknowledged that food shortages could tempt some households to consume the seeds but urged them to plant instead. Ndamira also encouraged farmers who register good harvests to share seeds with other community members.
Other beneficiaries, including Dinah Tusasibwe, Prima Turinawe and Jackson Mareju of Buremba Village, said prolonged sunshine had damaged crops they had planted earlier.
They thanked Kikafunda for providing the seeds, saying the distribution would enable them to plant again following the losses.
James Bagubwa, the Woman MP’s coordinator, said the programme seeks to address food shortages and poverty by supporting farmers to increase production.
He urged beneficiaries to plant the seeds, maintain their gardens and use the harvests to feed their families and earn an income.
Bagubwa also encouraged farmers to save and share suitable planting material from future harvests with those who had not benefited from the distribution.
