By Edna Piyic
Farmers in Pakwach District are set to increase the production of high-value crops after the establishment of a greenhouse in Wadelai Sub-County.
The National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) established a greenhouse in Wadelai, where the Wadelai Irrigation Scheme is also being implemented and the government has so far injected sh60bn.
Pakwach and the greater Wadelai sub-counties which include the newly created Ragem Sub-County, were known for growing simsim, a cash crop in the community, the rudimentary way.
According to Alfred Jagen, a farmer from Wadelai Sub-County, they have lacked seedlings for crops such as tomatoes, cabbages and other horticultural products yet they are economically “high fetching” crops.
He said they hope to grow such crops on a large scale because they have land that can foster production.
“Before, we used to grow simsim which we would sell, but everyone was growing the same crop so we were not gaining anything,” he said.
Richard Ocan Veve, the LC3 chairperson of Ragem Sub-County, said the area is in need of tomatoes and other high-value crops.
“Currently, we get tomatoes from the districts of Zombo also in West Nile, Amuru and Nwoya, yet we have few farmers engaging in growing tomatoes on a large scale,” he said.
He said the irrigation scheme through the greenhouse will help to produce more products.
The Pakwach chief administrative officer, Moses Dalili, said the greenhouse will help farmers to have access to high-value crops.
“The greenhouse will be used to plant drought-resilient crops and those that can grow even in floods,” he mentioned.
He added that the facility will also be a demonstration centre for farmers where they will learn how to grow other staple food crops like cassava, potatoes and simsim among others.
