Kadaga launches Busoga livestock transformation project

AGRICULTURE

The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga has launched the Busoga livestock transformation project of the Kasolwe Stock Farm in Kamuli.

Kadaga said the project should teach Basoga how to practice farming as a business adding that this initiative should be embraced by the Basoga as an opportunity to improve their lives and incomes.

"It is time our people stop looking at farming as something casual and embrace it as a money-making venture; we can become rich from livestock farming if we do it with a business sense," she noted.

The speaker added that this project should be used to liberate people in Busoga from poverty.

"When you are coming towards Busoga, the beginning of the Busoga boundary is marked by mud and wattle huts which are unacceptable and must change," she said.

Through the theme, "Revolutionalising of Livestock farming in the greater Busoga Region Project" the project will use the government-owned farm to train local farmers in modern techniques of livestock farming and for them to access better animal breeds.

Kasolwe farm is being managed by the National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC). The animals bred at the farm include chickens, pigs, goats, and cattle.

The Executive Director for NAGRC, Dr. Charles Lagu, said the project will mitigate the high poverty levels, food and nutrition insecurity, life household incomes using livestock as an alternative tool. 

"This project is the brainchild of the speaker and with her support, we were able to secure sh12b from the government to set in motion the project," he said.

Lagu added that the facility is going to be expanded for the pigs and goats and a training facility is going to be set up targeting farmers in the sub-region.

"We are going to teach farmers about sustainable crop farming methods and breeding techniques to improve quality and quantity of output from their livestock and crop yield," lagu added.

Dr. Lagu said that the goal of the project is to increase the productivity of smallholder farmers in the greater Busoga region with the revitalization of Kasolwe Stock Farm to serve as a centre of excellence for animal resources business incubation, breeding, and innovation.

At the launch, the speaker broke ground for a modern cow shed that will have a capacity of 200 animals and a feed mill which will be used to produce feeds for fish, poultry, pigs and cattle.