RUKUNGIRI FARMERS WORRIED OVER FAKE SEEDS ON MARKET, BLAME GOV’T OF POOR REGULATION

By Ronald Kabanza

www.mknewslink.com

In Rukungiri

Farmers in Rukungiri district have expressed concern over counterfeit seeds that are available on the market.

The farmers say they have been duped into buying the fake seeds on the open market, expecting to get good yields yet they never sprout.

 Alex Okello a farmer in Nyakagyeme sub-county says last season he brought 100 kgs of maize for planting but they failed to germinate.

Okello puts the whole blame on the government which failed to regulate seeds that are being sold in the market adding that the government should put agro input shops to help farmers buy quality seedlings to plant.

 Michael Kushaba a farmer in Buyanja sub- county told www.mknewslink.com  reporter that last season he planted 200 kgs of beans but only a quarter of the planted seeds germinated saying that this left him in debts since he had acquired a loan from the bank.

Kushaba now wants the government to intervene and put policy that regulate the selling of fake seeds from the market.

“We are left to buy seeds from open market yet the government is there watching. I think the government should at least support us with seedlings or direct us on where to get quality seeds because we are only incurring losses,” Kushaba said.

Pius onek, the Rukungiri district agricultural officer, says the problem of fake seeds cuts across the entire nation saying that there is no policy framework that local authorities can use to monitor and eliminate the fake seeds from the market.

 “If the policies were comprehensive enough, stringent conditions would be put in place to state who is to become a seed dealer”. Col. Martine Nahurira, the Rukungiri district operation wealth creation co-coordinator believes.

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