Hand hoesBy Prisca Wanyenya The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) has defended its decision to exclude Members of Parliament from the distribution of hand hoes during the 2026 general elections, saying it was acting on legal advice from the former Attorney General, Kiryowa Kiwanuka.The revelation was made by Mary Aacha Orikiriza, Under Secretary at MAAIF, while appearing before Parliament’s Agriculture Committee on August 25, 2026.“When Cabinet took the decision to procure hoes in 2025, the Attorney General advised Cabinet that the then political leaders, especially those that were in election, not to be the ones to distribute the hoes, as it would tantamount to breach of electoral laws. The Ministry of Agriculture was therefore directed by Cabinet to make sure the distribution of hoes goes through the district technical systems headed by the CAOs and the production coordinators, while MPs provided oversight attached to the distribution list for the hoes that were procured,” Aacha said.She was responding to a question by Amelia Kyambadde (Mawokota South) who sought clarification on the Ministry’s position regarding the proposal for MPs to participate in last-mile distribution of inputs, including seedlings, hoes and tractors alongside Parish Development Model (PDM) structures. Coffee Seedlings to be Exempted from PDMThe Ministry also revealed that discussions are underway to exempt coffee and cocoa seedlings from the PDM framework, citing lack of evidence that PDM beneficiaries are using the funds to purchase agricultural inputs as intended.“Currently, there is a lack of data concerning the percentage of PDM beneficiaries who utilise the loans for their intended purpose of purchasing inputs versus those who divert the funds towards their pressing needs,” Aacha said.This was in response to a written question by Kyambadde, who chairs the Agriculture Committee, on how MPs can ensure timely, affordable and quality supply of inputs, especially coffee seedlings, amid high fertiliser costs and low productivity following government’s decision to end free seedling distribution.Until the 2022/23 financial year, government distributed free coffee seedlings, maize seeds and cassava cuttings through the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) and Operation Wealth Creation (OWC). However, with the adoption of the PDM framework, all budgets for procurement and distribution of free seedlings were merged and transferred to PDM.Under the new policy, farmers are expected to buy seedlings of their chosen enterprises from the market using PDM loans, prompting government to cease centralised procurement and distribution.However, Aacha admitted that demand for coffee and maize seedlings remains high and that PDM funds are insufficient to cater for high-priced coffee seedlings.“As Ministry of Agriculture, we are now preparing a paper to seek Cabinet’s approval to grant exemption to some enterprises like coffee, cocoa, to be handled separately from PDM,” she said.Minister Frank Tumwebaze told MPs that President Museveni has appreciated the need to separate coffee seedling funding from PDM.“I am happy the President seems to appreciate that coffee seedlings cannot be handled under PDM. So, let us move together and we’ll see whether we can get a budget allocation,” Tumwebaze said. Diseased Piglets in KalangalaLegislators also tasked the Ministry to explain circumstances under which it distributed piglets infected with swine fever in Kalangala under the National Oil Palm Project.Kyambadde said: “The committee expects a specific response on the piglets supplied under the National Oil Palm Project that reportedly carried swine fever, occasioning losses in Kalangala. That is a very strong issue in Parliament, actually, and on whether the ministry will take responsibility and compensate the affected parties.”Donor DependenceMinister Tumwebaze decried heavy reliance on donor funding for the Ministry’s development budget, noting that government funding mainly covers salaries and fuel.“Our funding is really small, the Government of Uganda component is more or less for salaries and for fuel, a big part of the government budget is donor projects. So, it is always a push, donors have their interests and priorities and we also have priorities. So, we will be working with you to struggle and be clear on what we can do for the country,” he said. The post Attorney General Blocked MPs from Distributing Hand Hoes During Elections – Agriculture Ministry appeared first on Business Focus.