Members of Parliament have queried a decision by the government to allow certified nursery operators to supply farmers with seedlings through parish Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations -SACCOs.
This followed a statement by the Minister of Finance, Matia Kasaija regarding an earlier demand by parliament to allow certified nursery operators to distribute seedlings to farmers, amidst delays by the government.
Kasaija’s statement came after a petition by the nursery operators who sought the intervention of the House in regard to their losses and the risk of farmers missing out on the second planting season on account of the lack of seedlings to plant.
Government policy at of the end of the last financial year 2021/2022 was for Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) and National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) to procure seedlings from certified Coffee and Tea Nursery Operators for distribution.
However, this process changed starting with the current financial year 2022/2023, when funds previously appropriated for procurement of seedlings from UCDA and NAADS were transferred to the Parish Development Model (PDM).
Kasaija told parliament that this policy change did not provide for any transition to address the already produced seedlings by the certified nursery operators to supply to the farmers.
“Consequently, there are mature coffee and tea seedlings that certified nursery operators have in stock that will be unsuitable for planting, if not planted during the current season. The total value of the mature seedlings of coffee and tea available for planting in the September- November period, is estimated at 93.3 billion Shillings,” Kasaija told parliament.
He added that the government has now decided to allow the nursery operators to supply the farmers on the requisition by the leadership of the parish SACCOs who are to ensure that there is no air supply or inflated claims.
However, the Minister of Agriculture Frank Tumwebaze notified parliament that it is the parish SACCOs who are going to handle the distribution process and not the UCDA or NAADs.
But the Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa accused Kasaija of trying to deny farmers seedlings indirectly since the parish SACCOs which are to identify farmers are yet to be established.
Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka said that the process set by the government is to ensure the identification of beneficiaries.
However, MPs disagreed with the government's position in the absence of the parish SACCOs. Agnes Apea, the Amolatar Woman MP raised similar sentiments as the Deputy Speaker, questioning where the money appropriated for coffee seedlings amounting to 20 billion had gone.
Kasaija said that there is some money in the budget but it is not sufficient to cover the cost of seedlings in the nurseries. He said that this is where the government proposal of making payments in the next two financial years stems.
Patrick Nsamba, the Kassanda North MP further poked holes in the Minister’s statement wondering why the government is not considering the existing institutions to supply seedlings.
Kasaija said that the available 35 billion Shillings that were appropriated by parliament are to be released to UCDA and NAADS for procurement of seedlings and their supply. He added that the new process will only apply to the extra funds required.
Tayebwa then tasked the Minister to give parliament a timeline for the distribution of seedlings as per the budget appropriated by parliament.
However, the minister said that he will need to consult with the Treasury and release the money as soon as possible.