Speaking at the launch of the Sembabule Archdeaconry Church in Sembabule Town Council on Sunday, Museveni called on farmers to embrace climate change mitigation solutions that can guarantee high and sustainable production.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has urged communities in the agricultural sector to adopt interventions that ensure consistent production and supply of produce to support the sustainability of the economy.
According to him, although more Ugandans are now engaged in various agricultural activities, they continue to face major challenges from natural calamities such as droughts, leading to fluctuations in production and affecting their earnings.
Speaking at the launch of the Sembabule Archdeaconry Church in Sembabule Town Council on Sunday, Museveni called on farmers to embrace climate change mitigation solutions that can guarantee high and sustainable production.
“I have seen that you now have many coffee and banana plantations, and the cattle farms are also well stocked, but there are moments when your production drops significantly. You keep lamenting about droughts that affect you badly because you rely entirely on natural seasons. We now need to transform by applying sustainable technologies such as irrigation for crops and growing pasture for animals,” he noted.
Museveni explained that the country is currently investing heavily in attracting international investors to establish value-added and agro-processing facilities, but their operations risk being frustrated by the unreliable supply of raw materials.
He indicated that, at a strategic level, the government plans to support active farmers with irrigation and pasture preservation technologies, as well as fertilizers, to ensure increased and sustainable agricultural production.
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In support of this, President Museveni appealed to communities to avoid electing leaders he described as non-visionary, arguing that such characters contribute to the stagnation of their communities.
“We no longer want to be ashamed by leaders who do not add value to our people. Our focus is now on promoting either intensive or extensive farming, depending on the size of land one has. We have already tested these models, and they are ideal for improving our people's lives if well guided by the right leaders,” he said.
Sam Kahamba Kuteesa, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs who spearheaded the construction of the Church worth Shillings 3 billion, appealed to President Museveni to stop overloading individuals with multiple leadership responsibilities, saying it tends to suffocate their capacity and hinders effective delivery.
Kuteesa, who is the longest-serving National Resistance Movement (NRM) party chairperson for Sembabule District, noted that serving in multiple demanding roles had previously limited his concentration and ability to effectively deliver in party structures.
He indicated that this should serve as a lesson to the party, urging them to stop assigning individuals multiple and sometimes conflicting roles, as this frustrates functionality and growth of the party.
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Meanwhile, Patrick Kalubo, the Sembabule District Chairperson, appealed to President Museveni to respond to the area’s long-standing government pledges to accelerate the social-economic transformation of the people.
He highlighted pending projects such as the Kyabakuza-Sembabule and Sembabule-Lyantonde road works, a new district road unit, and irrigation projects, among others, that have been delayed for a long time.
