Minister Babalanda Reports High PDM Fund Disbursement in Buyende

Minister for the Presidency, Milly Babalanda, has shared positive findings from her recent assessment tour of the Parish Development Model (PDM) in Buyende District. During a random beneficiary audit in Iringa West Parish, Nkondo Sub-County, Babalanda discovered that an overwhelming 97% of those sampled had successfully received the government funds.

Babalanda stated that the remaining 3% of cases involved beneficiaries who had passed away or moved out of the Buyende district. This audit was part of a broader government effort to monitor the PDM program’s implementation and ensure funds are reaching their intended recipients.

The PDM program aims to uplift households from subsistence farming into the money economy by providing financing and support for income-generating activities. To bolster this, Babalanda announced that two model farmers would be identified in each village to serve as local resources for practical farming knowledge.

She also encouraged beneficiaries to adopt the government’s ‘four-acre model’ for intensive agricultural use. This model suggests allocating one acre each to coffee, fruits (like oranges and mangoes), food crops, and pasture for zero-grazing dairy farming.

For households with limited land, Babalanda suggested diversifying income through backyard projects such as vegetable production and poultry farming. She specifically mentioned poultry as a suitable alternative for Muslim and Seventh-day Adventist households, while piggery could be adopted by others where culturally appropriate.

The minister emphasized that beneficiaries should utilize these funds for productive enterprises rather than consumption. The goal of the PDM and complementary initiatives like the four-acre model is to significantly increase household incomes and improve food security in rural areas.

This assessment underscores the government’s commitment to ensuring the PDM program effectively combats poverty by enhancing practical farming skills alongside financial support, thereby fostering sustainable household enterprises. The findings were reported by Nile Post.