By Flavia Ajok
Masindi district local government is stranded with three tons of fake maize seeds which they received from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries through International Institute for Rural Reconstruction under the Agriculture Cluster Project at the beginning of this season.
The acting Masindi district production officer, Dr Fred Sebuguzi confirms receipt of three tons of maize seeds from the ministry of agriculture which were supposed to be distributed to model farmers in the six sub counties of Masindi district.
He adds that later, they realized that the maize seeds were rotten and infested with weevils so they could not go ahead to distribute them.
He says they are now stranded with the maize seeds waiting for the order from the ministry of Agriculture to have it destroyed publicly.
The Masindi district chairperson, Cosmas Byaruhanga says they rejected the maize seeds on grounds of being rotten and cannot germinate.
He adds that currently, they are waiting for instructions from the Ministry of Agriculture to allow them destroy the maize as the law requires.
The secretary for production and natural resources Masindi district, Geoffrey Bigabwa Kiiza says they wrote to ministry of agriculture informing them about the rotten maize seedlings.
He adds that the ministry later sent the district good seeds which they distributed to 3,000 model farmers in Pakanyi, Kiruli, Labongo, Mirya, Kyatiri and Kijunjubwa sub counties in Masindi district for a demonstration.
Currently, the rotten and rejected maize seeds are dumped at the parking yard of Masindi district headquarters waiting for guidelines from ministry of agriculture to destroy them.
