Uganda, Netherlands push for agro processing, loans for farmers

May 28, 2013

President Yoweri Museveni has called on the Netherlands government to partner with Uganda and invest in the areas of banana juice processing.

By vision reporter

President Yoweri Museveni has called on the Netherlands government to partner with Uganda and invest in the areas of banana juice processing, milk processing, veterinary drugs and strengthen co-operatives in order to spur economic development in the country.

The President said if the two countries worked closely together to develop agro processing, it will spur infrastructure development.

'You have the technology and capital but in Africa we have markets, cheap labour and raw materials.  Once we are linked together it will be fantastic.' he said.

Museveni was speaking in a meeting he held with the Netherlands Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Lilianne Ploumen at State House in Entebbe.

Minister Ploumen who was accompanied by the Netherlands Ambassador to Uganda Alphons Hennekens is in Africa to look for opportunities to invest and cooperate in particularly in the areas of recycling bins and the health sector. Before her Uganda visit, she had been to South Sudan, DR Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Ethiopia.

The President said it is only in the Great Lakes Region that one can find bananas from which starch can be obtained for industrial use as well as banana juice for consumption.

The Minster applauded his Excellency the President for his good political will and assured the Ugandan Government of their support in the co-operative sector especially the provision of loans to farmers through their already signed agreement with the DFCU Bank Uganda.

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