President Yoweri Museveni has reiterated his call to the people of Ntungamo district in particular and Uganda in general to maximally utilize their land holdings by practicing modern commercial farming in order to effectively eradicate poverty at house hold level.
“How can one fruitfully utilize say 4 acres of land? One acre should be for clonal coffee, the 2nd for fruits, the 3rd for elephant grass and the 4th for banana plantation. At the back yard add poultry and apiary among others. I have come to re-ignite among you the fight against poverty. Every family must work hard and create wealth, we want to eradicate poverty,” he stressed.
The President, who was accompanied by First Lady Mrs. Janet Museveni, the area MP, made the remarks yesterday while addressing residents’ of Kikoni Model Parish at Mutanoga Primary school grounds, after assessing the progress made by farmers now practicing modern agriculture in the area.
President Museveni visited the farms of Mrs. Plaxeda Hamanya, Mr. Moses Mugisha, Mr.Mugume Eliasaph and that of Mr. Coleb Tayebwa who, through modern farming in land holdings of less than 5 acres, are earning comfortable incomes annually.
The farmers are the beneficiaries of the Presidential Initiative Against Hunger and Poverty program and are serving as role models for the residents of Kikoni village in Ntungamo district.
President Museveni also commissioned Kikoni Model Village SACCO and donated to the SACCO Shs 30m.
The President encouraged the people of the area to identify profitable enterprises and ensure that the income generated is either equal or more than the expenditure.
He urged farmers with vast pieces of land to grow more maize that will be processed and will mitigate high prices of poultry feeds.
He promised to provide them with a maize mill, poultry feeds processing machine and also extend electricity from Ntungamo Municipality to the area.
The President further warned the people of Ntungamo district against marrying many wives and unplanned children citing the two as the main source of poverty.
He also advised against the practice of fragmenting land among children and called on people to share dividends of the income generated from the land.
Sign up below to get the latest updates from State House Uganda by email.