Multi-Million Value Addition Facilities Idle in Masindi Due to Power Shortage

Masindi District | THE BLACK EXAMINER | Two cooperatives, the Bwijanga Coffee Farmers’ Cooperative in Bwijanga Sub County and the Bujenje Maize Farmers’ Cooperative in Bikonzi Sub County, have not been utilizing the value addition facilities obtained through the Agriculture Cluster Development Project (ACDP) under the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (MAAIF).

During a recent district council meeting, Cosmas Byaruhanga, the LCV chairperson of Masindi, highlighted that the mills, which were established to process maize flour under a matching grant arrangement, are currently inactive due to a lack of access to power. Byaruhanga emphasized that the Bujenje Maize Farmers’ Cooperative requires approximately Shs 5.5 million, while the Pakanyi Area Cooperative Enterprise needs about Shs 28 million to connect these processing facilities to the national power grid. He urged the central government to provide support in connecting these facilities to the grid.

In 2021, the government allocated over Shs 900 million to five cooperatives as part of the ACDP to establish facilities for processing farmers’ produce. These cooperatives include Masindi District Farmers’ Association, Bwijanga Coffee Farmers’ Cooperative, Gukwatamanzi Farmers’ Cooperative, Pakanyi Grain Area Cooperative Enterprise, and Bujenje Maize Farmers’ Cooperative. The government contributed Shs 949 million, while the cooperatives themselves contributed Shs 467 million towards the value addition project.

Specifically, Bujenje Maize Cooperative Society received Shs 147 million, Bwijanga Coffee Cooperative received Shs 229 million, Gukwatamanzi Cooperative Society received Shs 206 million, Masindi District Farmers’ Association received Shs 166 million, and Pakanyi Grain Dealers and Produce Area Cooperative Enterprise received Shs 200 million.

Joseph Ssalongo, the chairperson of Pakanyi Grain Dealers and Produce Area Cooperative Enterprise, stated in a telephone interview that the machines were installed but remain unused due to the lack of electricity. Unfortunately, attempts to reach the leadership of the Bujenje Maize Farmers’ Cooperative for comments were unsuccessful.

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