UCA, Swisscontact to strengthen farmer organisations

FARMING | UCA 

Uganda Cooperative Alliance (UCA) has signed a memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen the capacity of farmer organisations and to promote access to services and products sector growth.

Speaking while signing the MOU, the Country Director Swisscontact, Pavlos Troulis, said about 10,000 farmers across cocoa and beekeeping linked to 20 cooperatives are to benefit.

The farmers will be able to access products and services that enhance production and productivity, market, investment and consequently improve their livelihood and incomes and sector growth.

The General Secretary UCA, Ivan Asiimwe, appealed to farmers to join farmer groups and cooperatives.

Asiimwe said it is important for farmers to belong to farmers' groups adding that without such groups and cooperatives, they risk being smallholder farmers forever.

Uganda has more than 21,000 registered cooperatives spread across all sectors of the economy.

UCA is a member of International cooperative Alliance is the umbrella body for all cooperatives with a mandate to; lobby and advocate for cooperatives in Uganda, to mobilise resources for cooperative development and to conduct co-operative education among others.