EDITOR
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has called on residents of the Kigezi sub-region to abandon subsistence farming and fully adopt modern, commercial agriculture, describing it as the surest route to prosperity, job creation, and national economic transformation.
Presiding over the 45th Tarehe Sita anniversary celebrations at the former Kabale National Teachers College grounds on Friday, President Museveni said Kigezi is richly endowed with natural resources and strategic opportunities that can only be unlocked through adherence to government guidance particularly in agriculture, tourism, and manufacturing.
The President noted that Uganda’s economy is on a positive trajectory, having attained lower-middle-income status, with a clear pathway toward upper-middle-income in the coming years. He emphasized that regions like Kigezi must align with national priorities to fully benefit from this progress.
Highlighting tourism as a major growth driver, Museveni pointed to world-renowned attractions such as the mountain gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga National Parks. He said ongoing government investments in tourism roads and infrastructure are intended to improve access, increase visitor numbers, and boost incomes for surrounding communities.
However, the President expressed concern over persistently low agricultural productivity, attributing it to limited use of fertilizers and irrigation. He cited observations made along his route to Kabale, where many farmers were cultivating crops without modern inputs, calling it a missed opportunity.
To illustrate the impact of modern farming methods, Museveni cited banana production. He explained that a single banana plant requires about 20 litres of water per day. In areas such as Bushenyi, where irrigation and fertilizers are used, farmers harvest up to 53 tonnes per hectare. By contrast, communities relying solely on rain-fed agriculture and no fertilizers harvest as little as five tonnes per hectare from the same land.
“This productivity gap must be addressed nationwide,” the President said, urging farmers in Kigezi to adopt irrigation, use fertilizers, and deliberately choose high-value enterprises. He highlighted fruits, coffee, vegetables, dairy farming, poultry for eggs, and fish farming as profitable ventures capable of generating good incomes even on small landholdings.
Museveni further stressed that agriculture must be closely linked to manufacturing, particularly agro-processing. Using tea as an example, he explained that recent price challenges were not due to global market failures but local issues such as poor agronomic practices and careless harvesting. With proper management, he said, tea and other crops continue to have strong market potential.
The President also pointed to emerging opportunities in crops like apples in suitable highland areas, alongside dairy farming, poultry, coffee, and fish farming. He urged local leaders to showcase practical success stories to inspire wider community adoption.
In conclusion, Museveni reaffirmed that Uganda’s economic foundation must rest on three pillars: modern agriculture supported by irrigation and fertilizers, tourism, and manufacturing. Growth in these sectors, he added, will naturally stimulate services such as education, health, and ICT creating a balanced, inclusive, and sustainable economy.
