A group of Fifteen members of the Bigaaga Organic Wine group in Mushenyi (A) Bigaaga parish, Butanda sub-county in Ndorwa West County in Kabale district under the support of David Bahati the minister of trade, Industry, and cooperatives (industry) through Microfinance support center Kigezi region branch has embarked at brewing wine as a way of gearing household income.
Speaking to our reporter yesterday in Mushenyi (A) Bigaaga parish in Butanda Sub-County, the Chairperson of Bigaaga Organic Wine group Patrick Akankwasa said that the group started in September 2018 with 10 members with an aim of promoting savings and credit and agriculture activities in the area.
Akankwasta said that the group was initiated by the Ndorwa West Women Development Association which deals in potato growing, after a section of men developed an interest in joining the association with the same agenda.
He said that the association lacks enough funding to increase the cost of production due to the high demand for wine in the area.
He also cited the lack of land for expansion and the market hindered by inevitable means of transport in the area and the skyrocketing of commodities and fuel prices that have hampered the saving culture in the group.
He asked the government to find possible ways to enable the comeback of cross-border trading at the Katuna border and also cut the prices of fuel to enable farmers deep in the villages and business people to ease the means of transport in the area for the benefit of the society.
Tuhumure Boaz, zonal manager microfinance support center in Kigezi, implored group members to embrace unity and increase savings to have much savings since they have sources that can earn them money to make the group grow and expand.
The coordinator of Ndorwa West Women Development Association Patience Tusiime Nalongo requested the government to always assist in giving early alerts on climatic changes since there are meteorologists who have expertise in predicting the climate.
