Uganda: Agric Ministry Imports Walking Tractors

Source from:  New Vision (Kampala) 8 January 2008 01/10/2008

THE agriculture ministry has imported 50 walking tractors from China to assist farmers imrpove their production capacity. The Minister of Agriculture, Hilary Onek, said the tractors were brought in to boost farmers output and reduce on the energy consumed using hand hoes. Onek was addressing farmers at the National Farmers Federation offices in Nakaseero recently. The tractors are hand started and have engines and a structural weight of between 350 and 370kgs. "They are simple and could be repaired by bicycle repairers in the villages. We hope they would assist small scale farmers who cannot afford costs charged by big tractors," he said. The importation of the tractors has come at a time when farmers have been urging the Government to set a ban on hand hoes. "Other players like the private sector might set in, but we have set the ball rolling. May be after sometime, the hand hoe will be abolished," said Onek. The country's favourable soil conditions and climate have contributed to agricultural success. Most areas usually receive plenty of rain. In some years, small areas of the southeast and southwest have averaged more than 150 millimeters per month. Uganda's main food crops are plantains, cassava, sweet potatoes, millet, sorghum, corn, beans and groundnuts. Major cash crops are coffee, cotton, tea and tobacco. Enditem