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State Minister for Kampala Metropolitan Affairs Kabuye Kyofatogabye has urged locals of the Nakaseke district to avoid prematurely harvesting their crops. In return, locals also asked the government to consider subsidizing the cost of planting materials and seeds such that farmers from this area increase their food production and security.

This request follows a report from farmers showing that the poor quality of seeds on the market has heavily affected their yields leading to high poverty rates and hunger, especially in remote areas. Locals revealed this in a meeting chaired by Minister Kabuye Kyofatogabye at Luteete village with intentions of finding long-term solutions to challenges locals face especially those related to income-generating activities.  

Over 350 people from 9 nine villages in Nakaseke district including Luteete, Kakakala, Bugema, Kamuli and others from Kikamulu Sub-County, Luteete Parish do farming as their main economic activity. They mainly grow maize, beans and other crops. However, these are facing consistently low production resulting from expensive and poor-quality seeds on the market. They revealed these issues during a meeting they had with the state minister for Kampala metropolitan affairs, Kabuye Kyofatolabye.

According to residents, a sack of maize seeds and beans that is supposedly of high quality ranges from 20,000 to 25,000 making it too expensive for people to afford. This prompts farmers to go for other options. Farmers also add that they are faced with the challenge of limited access to vital information and knowledge about where to access quality seed hence their status quo remaining low.

These also pointed out that Luteete Parish is facing a challenge of water supply since some villages don't have water sources like boreholes and those that were able to secure a pump say it is already defunct. 

In a bid to fix the challenge of quality production, Minister Kyofatogabye urged locals to avoid premature harvests.  

Reports from the Ministry of Agriculture indicate that more than 75% of Ugandans who live in rural areas earn their living through agriculture, a sector that contributes 21% to the country's Gross Domestic Product.

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