By Vision Reporter
On Tuesday, President Yoweri Museveni met a group of farmers from the districts of Ntungamo and Rukungiri at State House-Entebbe, during which he re-emphasized the need to empower individuals with small pieces of land through the adoption of the four-acre model type of farming.
In a press statement released by the President’s press team Wednesday, he said this model encourages diversification.
With the four-acre scheme, one acre is dedicated to coffee cultivation, another to fruit trees, the third to staple crops for household consumption, and the fourth to pasture for livestock.
Additionally, in the backyard, a farmer can rear poultry, piggery and fish farming in ponds.
The group that met with the President was led by the security minister and Rujumbura county MP (Rtd) Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi and Peace Rugambwa, the chairperson of Ntungamo-based Boona Bagagawale-Nyekundire Group Limited.
Dr. Elisa Rutahigwa, the MP of Rukungiri Municipality was also in attendance.
“If you do this type of farming, that means we will have defeated poverty through commercial agriculture,” Museveni told the visiting farmers.
According to him, this approach directly assists the current Parish Development Model (PDM) by helping farmers transition from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture, where communities will unlock economic prosperity and sustainable livelihoods.
Furthermore, President Museveni emphasiszd the importance of unity and cohesion among the National Resistance Movement (NRM) supporters to fully capitalise on government programmes like PDM and Emyooga, urging the attendees to champion these initiatives and disseminate their benefits widely amongst the masses.
Meanwhile, during the meeting, he disclosed the government’s decision to elevate Uganda Martyrs Technical Institute into Mbarara University of Science and Technology’s Engineering Faculty.
“We have looked into the possibility of converting the Technical School into the Faculty of Engineering of Mbarara University since it is the government’s mandate to promote as many science disciplines as possible.”
‘Never looked back’
Alfred Atwiine, a resident of Ruhinda sub-county in Rukungiri district, shared an inspiring testimony about the transformative impact of the Bona Bagagawale-Nyekundire Group Limited programme.
In 2016, he received a quarter kilogramme of onion seeds, which he cultivated on half an acre of land and eventually harvested six bags of onions.
“I was able to get sh1.25 million, which enabled me to take my children to school. Since then, I have never looked back,” said Atwiine.
“I have fully taken advantage of every government programme and I am where I am today because of such programmes. Thank you, Your Excellency.”
