Agriculture
The Department of Agriculture in Busia County on Thursday completed the process of public participation that brought together different stakeholders to discuss bills that will enable various directorates in the Department to carry out their mandate effectively.
According to Count Executive Committee Member in charge of Agriculture Dr. George Mukok, the legal framework in the agriculture sector has not been clear on what to do with the financial support they have been receiving from partners.
In an interview after the Day Two of public participation Dr. Mukok noted that for the Department to move forward, there was a need to work on the Departmental policies and legal framework.
“Governor Dr. Paul Otuoma’s manifesto and the Ward manifesto of revitalizing the Agricultural sector, we realized that we have been receiving financial support, but the legal framework area was not clear, which means for us to move we needed to work very hard on policies and legal framework,” said Dr. Mukok.
Mukok revealed that among the proposed bills that were being discussed included the Agriculture Training Centre (ATC) bill, Mechanization bill, subsidy bill, and County Agriculture Sector Coordination Mechanism (CASCOM) bill, adding that there was a need for some of the activities being implemented by the department to be anchored in law to regulate its operations.
He noted that there are so many players in the sector that are not accountable and the purpose the of the bills is to bring the operations under one roof governed by law.
“There are so many players that are not accountable and with these laws we will bring everybody under one roof through laws and for us to get there we must start with public participation,” adding “We receive donations from the national government and other NGOs but is it structured? For example, seeds, we want a mechanism where it reaches the end user, so we need country-specific laws.”
He also noted that the Department has released tractors in preparation for short rains starting with Teso North before they move to other parts of the County. As a Department the CECM said they are embarking on a vaccination process for livestock from July 9 to 24th2024, urging farmers to prepare for that.
The chairperson of Agriculture and Animal Recourses County Assembly of Busia Ms. Beatrice Kanoti noted that with these bills in place, it will fast track the work of the legislatures, adding that the four bills and one regulation upon enactment will help in managing the resources that comes to the County.
“These laws will regulate and minimize the duplication of programs in some areas. They will also guide partners, where they are based, and by doing so everybody in Busia will be able to benefit from these projects, “she said, promising to pass the bills into law on the house floor.
Mr. Brian Itemesi Sande, the Project Officer Practical Action Busia County representing a youth-based program named Resilient Agriculture that works for the Youths promised to support what the department is doing to make the department work effectively.
Ms. Jessica Wanyonyi from Africa Harvest, representing a drought-tolerant project for youths’ job creation, supported the formation of the bills adding that they will address some of the issues affecting youths and young women.
“The regulations that will come out of it, will address some of the youths that are affecting youths and young women, and even as we formulate and come up with these regulations, we see how women and youths can be incorporated on how to be engaged on matters of agriculture,” she said.
