Mukono moves to become Uganda’s leading food village

May 02, 2007

THE leadership of Mukono district has designed a development project which will necessitate each village to act as a production centre for a specific product. The district has already earmarked sh600m to implement the project.

By Moses Mulondo

THE leadership of Mukono district has designed a development project which will necessitate each village to act as a production centre for a specific product.
Speaking toThe New Vision recently, the district chairman, Francis Lukooya, revealed that although they are still lobbying for more financial support from various donors, the district has already earmarked sh600m to implement the project. The funds have been generated from the local revenue and the unconditional grant.

“This project is going to make Mukono Uganda’s leading food basket,” Lukooya said.

Some of the major products for the model villages include fish, sugarcane, chicken, cattle, vanilla, maize, beans, banana, coffee, tree planting, and fruits like mangoes among others.

According to their strategic plan, each model village will work as a co-operative society to enable the residents pull resources jointly and look for market.
Lukooya said they have selected 155 model villages from the 150 parishes. “We shall use both the modern technology and improve the traditional methods to expand the volume of our production capacity.”

The district has planned to have a tractor in every parish so as to encourage large scale mechanised farming to promote commercial agriculture.

Calling it a master plan for poverty eradication, Lukoome said the project has been designed in such a way that it would abridge the Government’s Bonna Bagaggawale scheme.

Lukooya also addressed the point of SCOUL bringing economic development in the areas around Mabira Forest which was raised in a cabinet paper on Mabira Forest calling it a wrong strategy that enriches a few individuals at the expense of the majority.

He further suggested that if the Government wants to economically empower the people, it should instead implement outgrowers’ scheme which they have already designed.

“We have 30,000 hectares of land for this scheme. This project would yield higher quantities of sugarcane than Mabira land would. It even rhymes with the Government’s Bonna Bagagawale scheme since it would directly empower almost all the residents.”

He further disputed the expectation that SCOUL can economically empower people.

“SCOUL maximises profits through over exploitation. Their workers are overworked, yet they are paid meagre salaries. How then can they make people rich? If the Government wants to bring development, let them channel focus to the outgrowers.”

Lukooya said Mabira Forest is the reason why Mukono receives the highest rainfall in the country. “Mabira is our God-given gift of nature. When you destroy it, you destroy our agriculture potential.”

The district boss called upon other districts to emulate Mukono’s development strategy of model villages.
“Just as we spearheaded vanilla growing in the country, let them come and we teach them how this development model works for the good of our country,” he said.

He said the project would highly lift the urban status of the district’s major towns especially Ntenjeru, Lugazi and Mukono.

“The inclusion of Mukono in the Commonwealth Summit zone is an added opportunity for the urbanisation of these three towns. World class structures and beautification are already ongoing in preparation for the summit. Mukono is therefore destined for greater heights.”

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