08kid-5159 - PROVIDING INFORMATION SERVICES TO FARMERS EMERGING OUT OF CONFLICT
Kitgum has been the epicenter of the 20 year insurgency in Northern Uganda between the Government of Uganda and the Lords Resistance Army (LRA). The insurgency has displaced over 85% of the total district population and weakened institutions and community structures that are critical in the mobilisation of communities in the development process. As a result, Kitgum is one of the poorest districts in the country. KIDFA (Kitgum District Farmers’ Association) formerly UNFA-Kitgum branch, started in 1993 as an association of farmers and farmer groups in Kitgum District. It is registered under the Companies Act (CAP. 85) as a company limited by guarantee and not having share capital. Its main objective is to improve the well being of people through enhancing standards of agriculture and marketing of agriculture products. To date, it has a membership of 2,595 comprising of 1,306 women and 1,289 men making it the largest producer organization in Kitgum. Since Uganda’s economy is 85% reliant on Agriculture, this places KIDFA in the front seat of the economic development of this war torn district. Like any of the community structures and organizations operating in Kitgum, KIFDA was tremendously weakened by the insurgency. Its members (farmers) were displaced and confined in camps for long, their gardens and farmland were abandoned and farming activities were limited to a 3 km radius around the 21 IDP camps that were established in the district. As the peace process takes shape, IDPs have started returning to their pre-war homes, thus increasing prospects of getting back into production for the market which should in turn enable them to attract competitive buyers from within and without. Agriculture is one of the key interventions that will accelerate the social and economic post conflict recovery of Kitgum district. KIDFA an apex body of farmers and farmer groups will play a key role in agriculture recovery through farmer mobilization, farmer group strengthening, technology transfer, provision of market and input information to rural farmers and training. The proposal aims at building organizational capacity of KIDFA so as to implement an effective Rural Information System to enhance farmer’s access to markets.