KAKUMIRO, July 10, 2024 – People who were affected by the East African Crude Oil Pipeline [EACOP][ in the districts of Hoima, Kakumiro, and Mubende have received post post-harvest handling materials.
The project-affected persons [PAPs] were supported with tarpaulins for drying maize, beans, crates for vegetable harvesting, and storage bags that protect grains from pests for more than six months, hence minimising postharvest losses.
Further, 3, 582 PAPs have also been trained and empowered with farming knowledge and skills under the Livelihood Restoration Programme run by EACOP Limited, the company implementing the EACOP.
The partners implementing the Shs 12 trillion EACOP are the Governments of Uganda and Tanzania, represented by Uganda National Oil Company [UNOC] and Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation [TPDC] respectively. Others are oil companies TotalEnergies and China National Offshore Oil Corporation [CNOOC].
In Uganda, the pipeline, 296-kilometre long, will traverse 10 districts and 25 sub-counties. In Tanzania, the pipeline, 1,147km long, will traverse 8 regions and 25 districts and stop at Tanga port on the Indian Ocean. The pipeline will transport 400,000 barrels per day from the Albertine Graben where oil is to be drilled.
John Bosco Kalule, Livelihood Restoration Coordinator of EACOP, said as one way of restoring the livelihoods of the PAPs, they decided to train the farmers and equip them with farming skills so that they can boost production and household incomes.
Kalule added they have established demonstration farms along the pipeline route for the farmers to continue learning, adding that farmers have been given farm inputs such as fertilisers, beans and maize seeds, on top of being given knapsack sprayers and pesticides.
He made the revelation days ago as a team of officials from the Petroleum Authority Uganda [PAU], the regulator of oil sector in the country led by the Executive Director Ernest Rubondo inspected the progress of EACOP development projects in Hoima, Kakumiro, and Mubende districts.
Rubondo who handed over post-harvest handling materials to the PAPs warned the beneficiaries against abandoning agronomic skills given to them, advising that they will help to produce enough food for those employed in the oil and gas sector.
He commended EACOP Limited for supported PAPs so that they benefit from the oil sector
He added that the progress of the project gives hope that Uganda will produce its first drop of oil in 2025 and called on Ugandans especially the people of Bunyoro Subregion to tap into the oil and gas opportunities available.
Rodger Kahumuza, one of the of the beneficiaries, commended EACOP Limited for the initiative, saying they the knowledge and skills acquired will be deployed to improve agricultural production while the postharvest handling materials will minimise losses.
https://thecooperator.news/shs-1-2bln-earmarked-for-tree-planting-in-districts-hosting-eacop/
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