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This was the period the local mangoes were available around May and June 2023.
The factory officials confirmed on Thursday that they are preparing to buy 110,000 kilogrammes of improved mangoes worth sh49.5m at the end of next week.
Mangoes will be bought from farmers at the same rate of sh450 per kilogramme, according to CEO Ekomu. He revealed that the improved mangoes that they will start processing in a fortnight will push them until May. This is when the local mangoes will be available.
Meanwhile, in a strategic move to support local farmers and ensure the continuous operation of the Soroti Fruit Factory, management recently announced an emergency purchase of oranges.
From November 2023 to early January 2024, the factory managed to buy up to one million kilogrammes of oranges. This is worth sh450 million from local farmers across Teso.
Complaints about ‘middlemen’ were rife among farmers. The factory worked out a countermeasure.
“There were complaints initially about middlemen, so we communicated to the farmers that we were going to come down to the ground to see where we are buying these oranges from. This helped us to buy oranges from the real farmers. And I think many farmers will testify to that. There were of course a few people who dropped out after realizing we were going down to see the farms and where these oranges are coming from and this is helping us in eliminating the assumed or the so-called middlemen. We will continue with this exercise [of] going down to the people.”
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![[dropcap]A[/dropcap] section of women in Bugongo parish and Nawangaiza parish in Nawandala Sub County, Iganga District have decried the near-impossible terms set for them to access GROW funds. They have now petitioned their woman member of parliament for Iganga Hon. Kauma Sauda Alibaawo to ask the government for revised terms and conditions. This is to enable them to benefit from the program. The disgruntled women accuse the implementers of the program of charging the money. They are also asking for their land titles and land agreements. They said that such properties are governed by their husbands. These, therefore want the government through their woman MP to intervene and revise the requirements for one to benefit. The women were on Wednesday at Namabwere primary school in Nawandala Sub County. They had gathered in their respective groups to receive over 300 chickens from Hon Alibaawo in her campaign to improve the livelihood of women in Iganga district. Each group was given 50 chicken as start-up capital in their journey to prosperity. Read what some leaders said; Ms Naigambi Lydia from Nawandala Trading Centre says, “They solicited money from us through opening bank accounts and depositing Shs80,000. They also asked for land titles and land agreements from us yet we don’t have such things. I was informed that I needed to have a business with a capital of Shs4m yet my capital was very small.” The chairperson Kisoboka Saving Group in Nawandala Ms. Nakagolo Faith said they were not able to join the program. This is given the many conditions attached. She also asked their woman MP to raise their concerns to the relevant offices. The MP condemned the mode of implementation of the program. She cited that it has turned to benefit the well-off class of women other than the intended group. She further asked the government to intervene saying the current strings attached to the programme are very tight to accommodate a common woman. GROW project is a Government of Uganda initiative that arose out of the need to respond to the needs of women entrepreneurs. This is especially those who want to grow their businesses, sustain their self-employment and create more jobs. Check Also; Iganga District NRM Leaders Urge Museveni To Fulfill Election Promises Of 2021 International Women's Day: Celebrating Progress Towards Equality](https://i0.wp.com/newslexpoint.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Iganga-women-decry-tough-terms-to-access-GROW-funds-e1731738339732.jpg?resize=300%2C160&ssl=1)
