24,000 to get employment opportunities in eastern Uganda

A sh11.3billion project aimed at improving the agricultural sector has been launched in the eastern districts of Kamuli, Buyende and Tororo.

The project dubbed A Working Future which was launched  on Tuesday is expected to create 24,000 jobs for mainly youths and women in the three districts.

Speaking at the launch, Patrick Ssebbowa- National Programme Manager, Youth Economic Empowerment at Plan International said that the overall objective of the project will be to Improve linkages between production and market demands in the agriculture sector in the mentioned district.

According to Ssebnowa, the four-year project (2019 - 2022) will be implemented by Plan International in partnership with VEDCO Uganda, Africa 2000 Network and KK Fresh Produce Exporters Limited and the crop enterprises will be selected from Hot pepper, Green Chilies, Sweet potatoes, Beans, Cow peas and ground nuts.

Ssebbowa noted that the project will target young people aged 15 - 24 who will be organized into 800 producer groups.

"The groups will be trained in group dynamics, agronomy, post-harvest handling and marketing skills to appropriately participate in both the export and domestic market," he said.

He added that the project is intended to scale-up achievements of a previous pilot project that was implemented between 2012 and 2016 that was funded by the Swedish government and benefited 12,000, Kamuli and Tororo.

He revealed that the project will be funded by theNorwegian government.