‘Enact bye-laws to adopt agro-forestry’

By Nicholas Kajoba PARTICIPANTS attending a workshop on agro-forestry have recommended enacting bye-laws in the districts to support its adoption. The four-day workshop held at Colline hotel in Mukono on Friday drew participants from NGOs, Community Based Organisations, farmers and government officials. They said more effort in natural resource management must be made in order to reverse the process of land degradation. failure to do so, threatens some of the highest bio-diversity sites and continues encroaching into national parks, forest reserves and wetlands, Adison Kakuru one of the participants said. They further said that there was need to promote agro-forestry in the development plans and insuring such activities are covered in the budget. The participants noted the need to mobilise and sensitise the communities to integrate trees in their farming systems. The minister of state for Animal resources, Mary Mugyenyi closing the workshop, said that agro-forestry has a big role to play in the protection of the natural resources base and environment. She said that government in partnership with donors and investors are in support of agro-forestry research development. ends