Gen Saleh calls for review of Operation Wealth Creation
The Chief Coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) General Caleb Akandwanaho has called for a refocus of the operation on logistics hubs and e-voucher system to make it more effective.
The UPDF operation which was launched by President Museveni in 2013 has been delivering agricultural inputs, and coordinating government, the private sector, financial institutions, farmer groups, civil society and development partners toward a more comprehensive approach to agriculture.
The operation is focused on eradication of poverty by growing household income through agriculture.
Gen Saleh who was speaking at a meeting with Bunyoro Community Development Strategic Leaders who met him at Namunkekera Industrial Centre in Kapeeka, said that although Operation Wealth Creation has registered some successes in enabling subsistence farmers to access agricultural inputs and agroprocessors to access value addition equipment, it faces operational and policy challenges.
Some of the challenges Gen Saleh cited include late delivery of inputs, low quality of inputs, delivery to wrong agro-ecological zones, land degradation and fragmentation, weak farmer groups, and inflation which is greatly affecting the price of inputs.
He called for refocus of OWC toward implementation of the regional logistics hub and the e-voucher card system to increase efficiency and rid the operation of challenges.
Under the e-voucher system, allocations to farmers are made through an online system, age use tokens to pick farm inputs from logistical hubs or approved suppliers within their regions.
The General hopes that the system will minimize delivery of low quality inputs, control price fluctuations, eliminate air supply and ensure all inputs get to the intended beneficiaries.
Saleh also wants OWC to rid the headquarters of the massive administrative structure of Directors and adopt a new administrative structure that is responsive to the needs and tasks of its second phase which is focusing more on market linkages of farm produce and products.
In the recommended administrative structure, industrial unit coordinators will be deployed at every regional hub and will coordinate activities of e-voucher card system.
Operation Wealth Creation has also deployed liaison officers across 25 government agencies.