Avoid subsistence farming - Museveni

By Vision reporter

President Yoweri Museveni has warned households against subsistence farming and instead advised them to engage in modern agro production, for food and cash, adding that once families have both, their lives are transformed.

“We want to abolish subsistence farming; you must produce for food and cash. When you do that life changes,” he counselled.

The President was addressing NRA veterans on governments’ reinforcement of the poverty eradication campaign at Nkurumah Waigodo Primary School in Lwamata sub-county Kiboga district.

He emphasized that each home stead must have an acre of coffee, one acre of bananas, one acre of fruits and another acre of elephant grass for zero grazing and for non-Muslims pigs. He added that at the back yard a family can keep improved goats and poultry for eggs.

Museveni said while government has worked on infrastructure development and initiated poverty eradication programmes, implementation and sensitization where still poor. He said there is need to reinforce the poverty eradication campaign using a more standardized and systematic approach in getting people not only out of poverty but also in organizing social services.

The President is on a working tour of former NRM operational zones in Luwero triangle to seek ways of reinforcing the fight against household poverty after he was ambushed by several veterans and individuals seeking personal support. He said that it is the NRM policy to ensure that there is standardized development in the country as opposed to individual development.

Under the new campaign that will see senior army officers will monitor projects in all former operational zones to reinforce efforts for eradicating poverty. The overall programme will be managed by Gen. Salim Saleh who is deputized by Brig. Proscovia Nalweyiso. The activities in Kyamusisi or Mwanga zone will be overseen by Lt. Col. Johnson Katongole while those in Kyankwanzi zone by Lt. Col. Kalyowa and in Bukomero zone Lt. Col. Sevume will be the overseer. He clarified that the army officers will only supplement the work of government officials in those areas.

He explained that each parish will have a government primary school, each sub county-a senior secondary school-each, each constituency a technical institute and a grade 3 hospital in every sub county with a medical officer and a staff of 19 personnel.

Museveni thanked the people of Kiboga for supporting the Movement government and said improved livestock breeding farms will be set up at the location for easy distribution of heifers to the people. The President added that the same will apply to seedlings for coffee and fruits whose nursery beds will also be set up at location. The function was attended among others by cabinet ministers.