By Simon Peter Tumwine
As the economy continues to bite harder, Ugandans have been asked to invest heavily in poultry and think beyond subsistence.
While addressing farmers in Gayaza yesterday recently during the farmer’s capacity building program at Sseninde Gardens, Julius Raymond Kabugo the managing director of Msingi Poultry Limited revealed that countries like China in a year make sales of sh515trillion ($135b) in poultry alone which is much more than Uganda’s national budget
“If you are to look at the amount of money the Chinese government gets from the poultry industry, it is much more compared to Uganda’s national budget. If Uganda can grow the poultry industry, we can a tremendous contribution to Uganda’s national development,” Kabugo said.
He added that unemployment is Uganda’s biggest challenge yet the poultry industry in China alone employs seven million people.
“We should start thinking beyond consumption and subsistence farming but we need to focus on commercialized agriculture and business. We need to start producing massively so that we can sell our products both locally and internationally,” Kabugo said adding that through this, we shall make a great contribution through the national development through taxation, and employment creation among others.
Using the same platform, Rosemary Sseninde the National Resistance Movement (NRM) director of Mobilization noted that if one invested in the poultry business, he or she could earn money out of the business daily adding she tried out poultry farming a business and she earning a lot from it.
“As a political leader, I tried out poultry farming as a business and I also wanted to inspire the rest of the poultry farmers and other farmers,” Sseninde said adding the mobilization isn’t about saying NRM oyee but it is about touching people’s lives and helps them get out of poverty.
Sseninde said through the poverty eradication programs that the government has set up, one can use the money to start up a poultry business and earn a living out of it if they don’t misuse the funds availed to them.
“The government set up poverty eradication programs such as Entandikwa, Emyooga, and youth livelihood among other programs but the majority haven’t benefited from the programs because they misused the money.
We need to change our mindset. We either want to be given or earn things quickly which isn’t right. We need to have a business from which we can earn money daily,” Sseninde said.
Kameeza money.
Addressing the same audience, Sseninde asked women to stop depending on Kameeza money for survival.
“Sente zokuka meeza” means money a man/ husband leaves at home every day for household purchases.
Sseninde said women/ housewives should start thinking outside the box and set up side businesses from which they can survive rather than depending on kameeza money which will never be enough.
“We have all seen it in our husband’s faces when we request money from them and they don’t have any money on them or when they delay getting paid. Their faces change and tend to have mood swings
One should have side businesses from which he or she can earn money and stop depending on Kameeza money but the question is what business will that be,” Sseninde said
