By Opio Ongora
LIRA CITY – Farmers’ group leaders in Dokolo District have hailed Caritas Lira for empowering them to dialogue with government officials, saying the engagement has deepened their understanding of the National Development Plan and how to align their farming with national priorities.
The program, organized by Caritas Lira, was held at Margarita Palace Hotel Lira city on Thursday as part of the regional post-budget dialogue for the 2026/27 financial year.
Apio Hellen and Awio Francis, farmers who attended, said the dialogue helped them understand how government works, key priority areas, and where to target their farming efforts. They also raised concerns about the availability of extension workers at the village level.
Farmers’ leaders also discussed challenges affecting agriculture in the district, including soil degradation, climate variability, energy constraints, and post-harvest losses. They noted that agriculture remains highly vulnerable to climate change.
Tonny Acup, Dokolo District Planner and one of the facilitators, said Dokolo farmers are hardworking but many are shifting from food crops to cash crops, a trend contributing to food insecurity in the district.
He revealed that the district has allocated UGX 2,542,153,000, representing 7.1% of the budget, to agriculture.
Acup said the district development plan aligns with National Development Plan IV priority areas, including agricultural research and innovation, extension services, quality inputs, post-harvest handling, agro-processing and value addition, quality assurance and certification, and market access and trade.
Key district targets, he added, include boosting production and productivity of high-value priority commodities such as cocoa and coffee.
Geoffrey Okaka, the District Agricultural Officer, urged farmers to reach out to extension workers for advice.
In response to concerns about extension services, Musafiri Suwed, the District Communication Officer who represented the Chief Administrative Officer, said LC2 chairpersons are currently working as Parish Development Committee members.
He noted that extension workers are available for farmers to contact, and that sub-county chairpersons and sub-county chiefs serve as their immediate supervisors. He urged farmers to take initiative and work hard.
Francis Ojok, Program Manager for Caritas Lira, said the dialogue was organized to ensure farmers understand government programs, priorities, and how to interpret the budget.
He said Caritas is proud that locals can now better understand government programs and use that knowledge to guide their farming and community engagement.
