United Nations Radio

The UN food agency-WFP says it will double the amount of food it buys in Uganda to about US $100 million annually as a way of helping the country's rural poor benefit from higher food prices.

The head of the World Food Programme's operations in Uganda Stanlake Samkange said the move will also save the agency time by buying food close to where it is needed while avoiding the costs of shipping commodities from abroad.

He said "buying more food in Uganda is a win-win situation."

Samkage said the agency is moving its focus away from food aid to food assistance as a new strategy that will better address the root causes of hunger in the country.

Under the new strategy, Purchase for Progress, WFP will use food as well as cash and vouchers to help the government tackle hunger.

A statement said "WFP will strengthen food supply, delivery and market infrastructures; increase production through purchases; enhance post-harvest handling, processing, storage and marketing of quality foods; and expand market opportunities for small-scale farmers."

This is Donn Bobb reporting for United Nations Radio.

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