MUGABE R
On Wednesday, 18th December 2024, extension workers and the administration of Rukungiri District welcomed officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (MAAIF) for a two-day engagement aimed at planning the successful implementation of the Uganda Climate Smart Agricultural Transformation Project (UCSATP).
UCSATP is a six-year project initiated by the president and funded by the World Bank. The project aims to transform Uganda’s agricultural sector from subsistence to a commercial enterprise by 2040, addressing challenges such as climate hazards. Uganda has received USD 354.7 million from the World Bank to implement the project across 69 districts in 15 subregions, including Kigezi. The Kigezi subregion covers the districts of Rukungiri, Kabale, Rubanda, and Kisoro.
The project promotes key agricultural value chains, including coffee, cocoa, mangoes, Hass avocados, citrus fruits, cassava, sorghum, maize, dairy and beef livestock, fisheries (fish capture and aquaculture), and beneficial insects such as bees and black soldier flies. In Rukungiri District, the focus will be on bananas, dairy farming, coffee, and apiary.
The primary goal of UCSATP is to transform subsistence farming into a commercial agricultural sector to ensure food security and improve livelihoods. The project will empower farmers with sustainable resilience tools to mitigate the effects of unpredictable rainfall, prolonged droughts, and pests and diseases.
David Kutunga Rukaijakare, Principal Agricultural Inspector at MAAIF, represented the Permanent Secretary, Major General David Kasura Kyomukama. He urged farmers to embrace the project for the revival, transformation, and value addition of agricultural products.
Pius Oneck, the District Production Officer, welcomed the project and emphasized the need for political leaders to acquire reliable knowledge to guide farmers effectively, citing the understaffing of extension workers as a major challenge.
Caledonia Clare Musimenta, the District Secretary for Education, Commerce, and Tourism, encouraged farmers to embrace the project for its potential to promote financial inclusion.
Sylivia Twinomugisha Katimbira, the Chairperson of LC3 Western Division, praised the project for its support to farmers. She also challenged the community to refrain from misusing government initiatives aimed at transforming their lives.
The workshop was held at Riverside Hotel in Eastern Division, Rukungiri Municipality.
