Francis Mugerwa
1 October 2008
Masindi — The Vice president, Prof Gilbert Bukenya, has urged farmers to increase their productivity as the country faces the risk of being hit by famine. Prof. Bukenya revealed this on Friday while touring Pastor Samuel Kakande's rice fields in Masindi District.
He said he fully supports initiatives to make Bunyoro a national food basket.
"In the next five years scientists expect famine to hit various parts of the world at the worst magnitude," Prof Bukenya said. He said there is increased food shortage in countries that used to massively produce food especially Asian nations yet the population is globally increasing and Uganda incurs Shs114.45 billion per year to import rice.
"We need to grow rice for ourselves and export the surplus to Kenya, DRC, Rwanda Sudan and several other nations. Bunyoro should take the initiative of increasing its productivity and become a food basket," Prof Bukenya said.
Pastor Kakande has 300 acres of rice in Kinumi in Miirya Sub-county and 300 acres in Cheplwor village in Kiryandongo Sub-county. He uses mechanised methods to grow rice and maize for commercial purposes. "The future of this nation (Uganda) lies in commercial agriculture. We have to open up land for serious agricultural production," Prof. Bukenya urged.
He said farmers who have invested in commercial framing will be supported by the government to enhance their productivity.
After touring the rice gardens, Prof. Bukenya estimated that the pastor will earn about Shs630 million per season from each of his 300 acre rice garden.
"Out of the 300 acres per garden, you will harvest 3,000 kilograms from each acre and if you sell at Shs700 per kilogram, you will earn Shs630 million within three months," Prof. Bukenya said after making some calculations in his notebook.
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