President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has requested the people
of Kalangala District to consider adding dairy and poultry farming to oil palm
growing in order to create more wealth.
“The wealth of Kalangala now stands on oil palm. We can
add cattle for milk and poultry for eggs. I encourage you to add cattle and
poultry farming to oil palm. The manure from the animals would be used as
fertilizers on your plantations. You will get fertilizers and then milk and
eggs which you will in turn sell to make more money,” the President emphasized.
President Museveni made the remarks today during his
investment and wealth creation tour in Kalangala District.
The President also expressed gratitude towards the people
of Kalangala for embracing his wealth creation gospel and that he was able to
testify to it following his earlier visits to two area residents who have been
able to transform their lives through growing oil palm.
“In 1995, I traversed around Uganda preaching about wealth
creation. Some areas picked our message. Like Masaka, they are so into coffee,
in the cattle corridor they are into milk. I'm so happy that over 60 percent of
the families in Masaka have coffee plantations which they preserve so well.
When I came to Kalangala I was also happy to see that you also embraced our
wealth creation gospel,” H. E Museveni asserted.
“Earlier I visited Tabitha, who has 4 acres of oil palm
and gets Shs500,000 per acre in a month. She makes Shs28m per year in the 4
acres. She even built a nice house for herself. I also visited Ssesanga who is
also an oil palm grower with 12 acres. He makes Shs7m per acre and makes over
Shs90 million per year. He is also a cattle farmer,” he added.
The President also advised the people of Kalangala and
Uganda at large to embrace growing more oil palm so as to enable the country to
get more than enough required oil palm products like soap and cooking oil for
use.
“I am so happy that oil palm has worked well. Bujumba are
doing well but those in Kyamuswa are not yet there. Kyamuswa, why did you lag
behind? If the people of Kyamuswa got involved at the start, we would be very
far. We still import over 70 percent of oil palm products from Malaysia and
Indonesia. We have been at war to get land for oil palm growing but thank God
that the people of Kyamuswa have also woken up,” he stressed.
During an interaction, the Minister of State for
Agriculture, Hon. Fred Bwino Kyakulaga told the President that Uganda needs
100,000 hectares of oil palm to get the required 410,000 metric tonnes of oil
products.
“With such metric tons we shall also be able to even sell
the products outside the country,” Hon. Kyakulaga said.
On the issue surrounding the fishing sector in Kalangala,
the President revealed that he was going to work with the elders in Ssese
Islands to ensure that the sector is reorganized.
“Why don't you get the elders of Ssese and organize the
fishing sector here? It needs people who control and regulate the activities on
the lake,” the President said.
“This is like a mine that doesn't have rules and
regulations. There must be control. We should own this. Like in the cattle
corridor, the elders control the area, no one comes from outside and
disorganize our activities. We should not allow outsiders to destroy our thing,
we should organize the fishing ground. You cannot go to the mine without a
license that is not being responsible. I have given you two months, I shall
come back,” he added.
On the issue of high prices of fertilizers, President
Museveni explained that such prices were induced by the Ukraine and Russian War
but assured farmers that the government was working around the clock to “have
our own fertilizer making company in Tororo that shall produce cheap
fertilizers”.
He also promised to set up a Referral Hospital and boost
the tourism sector in the district through improving infrastructure like
electricity and transport in the area which currently has a population of 92,000.
At the same event, President Museveni handed over a dummy
cheque of Shs50 billion dividends (from oil palm project) to the leadership of
Kalangala meant for social services in the district.
However, he said such money should not be used for social
services, rather it should be invested in the farmers' SACCO which in turn can
be used to sustain their agricultural activities.
“If we bought for you interests in a company, you should
invest that money in your SACCO for development purposes. Social services like
roads are supposed to be worked upon by the government, not you as individuals,”
H. E Museveni noted.
According to the Chairperson LC.5 of Kalangala Rajab
Ssemakula, Oil Palm growing is now one of the main economic activities in
Kalangala and out of the 53.1 billion shillings the Government injected in as a
loan to oil palm farmers, they have repaid Sh52.68BN to the consolidated fund
and the Project has pushed people to the middle-income status whereby on
average an out grower earns Shs1.6 million from oil palm monthly.
“Your Excellency our kind request is that the 10% simple
interest on 53.1BN be waived and left with Kalangala Oil Palm Growers Trust
(KOPGT) for its suitability. We appreciate and report that there is a positive
impact of the Oil Palm project in Kalangala,” Mr. Rajab Ssemakula said.
He thanked President Museveni for being a visionary leader
who works towards uplifting the Livelihoods of his people through several
developmental initiatives such as Parish Development Model, Emyooga, Oil Palm
Project and Youth Livelihood Program.
“We also thank you for easing transportation on the 84
Islands that make up Kalangala district through providing free ferry services,”
he added.
The event was also attended by Ministers, Kalangala
district leaders, NRM leaders among others.
Posts
0 Comments