Sh8.4b To Fight Coffee Disease

By John Eremu THE Government has, this financial year, set aside sh8.4b to fight the coffee wilt disease and supply of coffee seedlings to farmers. Agriculture, animal industries and fisheries minister Dr. Kisamba Mugerwa told journalists on Wednesday that agricultural extension services would also be contracted out to ensure efficiency in service delivery. State ministers Dr. Kibirige Sebunya (agriculture) and Mary Mugenyi (animal husbandry) attended the press conference at the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) headquarters in Kampala. Kibirige advised farmers to plant coffee now ahead of the expected world price increases in the near future. “Please assist us and inform our farmers to plant coffee now. It is more prudent to plant now when world prices are low so that by the time the prices are high, as has been the trend, the plants are mature,” Kibirige said. UCDA chief Henry Ngabirano said the authority had enough seedlings to meet farmers’ demands. Mugerwa, who briefed the press on his recent trip to Latin America, said the Government had also earmarked sh2b for strategic intervention in the tea industry and up to sh22.79b to support the livestock sector. He said sh6.8b had been allocated for the provision of seeds in the cotton sector, sh4.23b for horticulture, sh0.7b for commodity market information and sh0.3b for the promotion of irish potato as a food security crop. He said the Plan for Modernisation of Agriculture was on course. He said extension workers will not lose their jobs when extension services are contracted out. Ends