President receives Mauritius-based entrepreneurs

President Yoweri Museveni has extended a warm welcome to a delegation of Mauritius entrepreneurs who called on him yesterday at State House, Nakasero.

The delegation, under the umbrella organization IBL Group, discussed with the President a range of opportunities for business promotion in Uganda.

President Museveni warmly welcomed to undertake business ventures in the country especially in the sector of value addition. He cited dairy and agricultural products such as beef, coffee, maize, fruits and animal feeds processing, among others. He noted that Uganda is losing a lot of money in the export of unprocessed goods, such as grains, instead of exporting processed products that would fetch more money for the country on the international markets.

The President assured the Mauritian delegation that production is going to increase now that the Government has organized farmers adding that Africa is very to the extent that the increased production volume that has been realized so far has not seen the interventional application of fertilizers.

Citing the example of the 1.2 million metric tons of maize that is produced in Uganda annually, Mr. Museveni said that the figure could be tripled if fertilizers were applied.

The Chief Executive Officer of the IBL Group, Mr. Nicholas Maigrot, appreciated the President for the warm welcome and said they are committed to investing in Uganda.

The Kansanga-based Managing Director of Fresh Cuts (U) Ltd, Mr. Stephan Duyck, who accompanied the Mauritian delegation, said they are strongly bent on processing their products with the aim of linking everybody to the market adding that  with the availability of the market, Uganda can play a pivotal role in the region if the existing challenges are addressed.

Mauritius, which has a population of 1.3 million, was successively colonized by Holland, France and Britain. The nation island which lies in the Indian Ocean off the East African coast, gained independence from Britain in 1968.

The meeting was attended by the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Hon. Tress Buchanayandi and State Minister for Animal Industry, Hon. Bright Rwamirama.