The government has distributed 69,236 hoes to Bushenyi District to boost agriculture, support farming households and improve agricultural productivity, with local leaders directed to use the 2024 National Population and Housing Census records to identify eligible beneficiaries.

The agricultural tools were handed over at the district headquarters to sub-county chiefs and Local Council III (LCIII) chairpersons, who received them on behalf of their respective sub-counties.

Bushenyi Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Emmy Ngabirano said the hoes would be distributed to eligible farming households, with priority given to beneficiaries of the Parish Development Model (PDM).

Ngabirano said the distribution exercise would be guided by the 2024 census records to ensure the hoes reach the intended beneficiaries, adding that each eligible farming household would receive one hoe.

Bushenyi District Woman Member of Parliament Annet Katusiime Mugisha urged officials and local leaders overseeing the exercise to adhere to the established guidelines and ensure transparency in the distribution process.

She also commended President Yoweri Museveni for supporting community interventions aimed at boosting agriculture and improving household livelihoods.

Nkanga Sub-county LCIII Chairperson Zaverio Mpambiro and his Kyabugimbi counterpart, Apollo Aryaguma, welcomed the initiative, saying the hoes would help farmers improve their farming activities and increase agricultural production.

The two leaders urged Local Council I and II chairpersons, parish chiefs and other officials involved in the exercise to ensure the tools are distributed fairly and in accordance with government guidelines.

They emphasised the need to restrict the distribution to eligible households captured in the 2024 census records to promote accountability and prevent favouritism.

The initiative is part of the government's efforts to boost agriculture, support smallholder farmers and strengthen household livelihoods through improved agricultural production at the community level.