Farming is the way out of poverty according to President Yoweri Museveni while officiating at the World Women’s day celebrations held in his home district of Kiruhura .
He emphasized farming through the four (4) acre-model farm strategy. “The four-acre model is part of what we call intensive agriculture. It is designed to benefit the country but particularly to benefit the smallholder.
There are other products that the country needs, but do not fit in intensive agriculture. They come in what is called extensive agriculture ─ getting small income per acre but doing it on a big scale.
This is where maize, sugar-cane, cotton, ranching, tobacco, etc., etc., come in. While the Parish Development Model (PDM) deals with the 4-acre model, Uganda Development Bank (UDB), will handle the extensive agriculture.”
Museveni also explained that when the families get out of poverty through commercial farming, manufacturing, services, ICT ─ the four sectors ─ it is easier to address all the other marginalized groups including the women.
In order to get quick economic gains from dairy farming, Museveni advised that the small and medium holders should go for Friesian cattle.
“What have been the results? Big transformation. Milk produced in Uganda has gone from 200 million litres per year to now Ug.Shs. 3bn per year and Uganda’s processing companies have increased from just 01 company (DCL) with a processing capacity of 60,000 litres per day in 1986, to currently 145 companies with a processing capacity of 2.89 million litres per day. These are employing mainly women and youth,” he boasted.
He said that Uganda’s dairy sector is now valued at US$3.8billion, the export portion of which brings in US$106.2million per year.
“We are aiming at 20 billion litres. You will not get out of poverty through ranching but you could get out of poverty through dairy farming,” Museveni said.
“I am, therefore, very happy that you, the women of Uganda, are here to witness this transformation I have been telling you about. The whole of the cattle corridor has got this message and have embraced it. Parts of the districts involved are found in Isingiro, Kashaari, Kiruhura, Kazo, parts of Ibaanda, Lyantonde, parts of Rakai, Ssembabule, Kyegyegwa, parts of Gomba, parts of Mubende, Kiboga, Kyenkwaanzi, Nakaseke and Nakasongola.”
He said with improved household income , families will be afford to take their children to school. “Will wealthier families pay for the girl child to study or not? Show me a daughter or son of a rich family that has dropped out of school on account of not being able to pay the school costs? Families getting out of poverty is a good base for solving other problems.
Yes, you may get greedy men who get “rich” and abandon their wives and children. The question is: “Are they really rich. Or are they just having some little money while previously- they had nothing. Otherwise, if the families are rich, the courts of the State can even discipline irresponsible husbands to share wealth with their spouses. How will the courts force a poor husband to share poverty with his poor wife and children? Families getting out of poverty is a good first step,” he stressed.
This year’s celebrations ran under the theme: “Equal Opportunities In Education, Science & Technology for Innovation and a Gender Equal Future”.
Nabakooba ‘s Land Ministry hands over more titles The President awarded 63 people with medals for their distinguished service in the political and socio-economic transformation of Uganda. He also presided over the hand over of 1, 481 land titles to the residents of Kiruhura in a concerted effort by the ministry of Lands Housing and Urban Development led by Hon. Judith Nabakooba to secure the land rights of Ugandans .
President Museveni also presented dummy cheques to women groups under the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme (UWEP). The districts which benefited include Kamwenge, Kasese, Kiruhura, Lwengo, Ibanda, Kazo, Bushenyi and Mbarara.
