MUSEVENI TAKES WEALTH CREATION DRIVE TO ANKOLE

By Alfred Tumushabe

Mbarara

PRESIDENT Museveni has said many people who derive income from farming are not earning good money partly because of wrong selection of farming projects.

Mr Museveni, who addressed a press conference at State Lodge in Mbarara on Thursday, said while development of infrastructure such as roads, hospitals and schools is going on well, many households depending on agriculture are not doing well on income generation.

He said the Mbarara District chairperson, Capt (rtd) JB Tumusiime Bamuturaki, who made a presentation on behalf of leaders from Ankole at Kakyeka Stadium earlier in the day, indicated that 75 per cent of the households in the sub-region produce food for home consumption only.

Mr Museveni said he has been going around the country discouraging people from producing for home consumption only, carrying out farming without business sense and subdividing family land and property after demised of family heads.

“I urge those with small land not to grow maize, sugarcane, cotton, tobacco and not to keep local (Ankole) breed of cows. Yes, these have money but you have to grow (and keep) them on a big scale, yet many have small land,” he said.

He advised those with small pieces of land to grow coffee, fruits, food, practise zero grazing, rear chicken, pigs and fish. The President said government put in place mechanisms to facilitate people undertaking such and other income generating projects.

These, he said, include Operation Wealth Creation programme, Youth Livelihood Programme and Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme funds.

He added that Shs400b has been allocated to the programmes annually, and that if access to the funds is an issue, the procedures can be revised.

Mr Museveni also said government plans to gazzate zonal industrial parks where people involved in different artisan work across the country can operate.

He revealed that government plans to give financial backing to carpenters, wielders, restaurant and salon operators. To benefit, each category will have to form district association to save money and lend amongst themselves.

Mr Museveni said political leaders will also be supported so that they can also develop themselves since they spend a lot of time taking care of interests of others but often times are stopped from benefiting from some of the programmes.