IFDC Press Release
For Immediate Release
13 July 2015
Contact: Brenda Akuruchet, Communications Specialist (Tel: 0757 288 384/0772 435 665, bakuruchet@ifdc.org).
IFDC Commissions 80 KMs of Ten Rehabilitated and Reconstructed Feeder Roads in Southwestern Uganda
13 July 2015 – Kampala, Uganda – IFDC and The Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands, in partnership with the Government of Uganda, is proud to commission 80 kilometers (km) of roads, covering ten feeder and community access roads in the three districts of Kanungu, Kabale and Kisoro. The road rehabilitation was through a public works grants worth UGX 4.1 billion. This support to the communities in the three districts aims to improve access to markets and public services and strengthen the potato value chain in Uganda.
Addressing the crowd during the commissioning, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, His Excellency Alphons J. A. Hennekens, commented on the impact on the general agribusiness environment by reducing transportation costs, time of travel and increase in availability of transport to the rural communities. The transportation cost is likely to go down by 30%-40%, with expanded road-based trade benefits.
The commissioning was witnessed by local community members and district officials, including the chief administrative officer (CAO) and LCV chairman, who expressed their excitement and gratitude for the road construction. “These roads will open up access to different services, health centers and markets,” remarked Patrick Besigye Keihwa, LCV chairman in Kabale. “Most of our people used to carry produce and their sick people on their heads for long distances before they could access any means of transport. Now this is going to change.” He further mentioned that there is likely to be an increase in enrollment and continued stay of children in schools due to better road access and improved quality.
The ten feeder and community access roads are expected to serve a population of over 148,200 people. Most of this population relies mainly on farming for their livelihoods.
“The roads will bridge the massive economic divide through improved productive operations along the whole potato and other commodity value chains for both inputs and agro-produce to generate social benefits, poverty reduction and employment generation,” said David Slane, chief of party of IFDC’s CATALIST-Uganda project.
CATALIST-Uganda is funded by The Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Uganda, prioritizing cassava, Irish potatoes, rice, soybean and sunflower value chains in Uganda. The goal of the project is to sustainably commercialize smallholder agriculture through improved productivity and market development, resulting in marketable surpluses that raise farm incomes in Uganda and improve food security in Uganda.
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The International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) is a public international organization addressing critical issues such as international food security, the alleviation of global hunger and poverty, environmental protection and the promotion of economic development and self-sufficiency through the use of agricultural technologies including fertilizers and other inputs.
