Parliament has approved the proposal by the Government to abolish the Cotton Development Organization (CDO), Diary Development Authority (DDA) and the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) and have their functions mainstreamed into the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries.

This is after the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Frank Tumwebaze defended the rationalization of the three entities arguing that the move will facilitate efficient and effective service delivery and hence avoid duplication of mandates and functions.

In the report of the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture read by the chairperson who is also the Lira District Woman MP Linda Auma, they recommended the merger of the Cotton Development Organization arguing that the move would not adversely affect the activities in the cotton sector as long as experts are absorbed in the ministry.

Auma while presenting the bill on Dairy Development Authority supported the merger but warned that the Government should ensure that the ministry does not jeopardize the gains made by the Authority since milk is a perishable good.

Meanwhile, the State Minister for Animal Industry, Bright Rwamirama defended the merger of NAADS saying that the ministry has been guiding the entity on the distributions they have been making and they will be under the Directorate of Agri-business and their activities will not be affected.

By Francis Lubega

22 Oct 2024

END