HOIMA – Farmers’ organisations operating in the Bunyoro Sub-region have been urged to mobilise and encourage the youth in the area to embrace commercial agriculture.
Innocent Aliguma, the community development officer for Kyabigambire Sub-county in Hoima district expressed concern that despite the youth being energetic, only a few are engaged in agriculture.
Aliguma was speaking at a sensitisation meeting of farmers from Hoima, Kikuube, Buliisa, Kagadi and Kakumiro districts. The meeting held days ago at Kolping Hotel in Hoima town was aimed at encouraging farmers to embrace new farming technologies such as small-scale irrigation and organic fertilisers as one way of mitigating the harsh effects of climate change.
Aliguma noted some of the youth are only interested in moving to towns to gamble, leaving the elderly to produce food for the growing population.
He added; “A big number of the youth are not productive, let us bring the youth into agriculture and make them love it, this will help them to be productive and solve the challenge of unemployment.”
The official also underscored a need to sensitise the farmers on the importance of environmental protection. He said the habit of cutting of trees and destroying water catchment areas is rampant in the area.
“People are now cutting fruit trees to burn charcoal. 99 percent of the farmers in this region depend on rainfall. We are likely to face disaster, if nothing is done. These trees and wetlands play a vital role as far as the formation of rain is concerned,” he said.
Charles Kisembo, a model farmer from Kagadi district underscored the need for the commercialisation of farming, saying most farmers in Bunyoro Sub-region have remained poor because they don’t take farming as a business.
However, some farmers who talked to this reporter expressed concern over the high cost of agro-inputs such as fertilisers and seeds.
James Byarugaba, a farmer from Hoima district challenged the government to provide subsidised inputs and equipment to the farmers as a way of promoting commercial farming.
Joseph Balikudembe, an agronomist with Volcano Ventures company dealing in organic fertilisers and manual pumps, said farmers need managerial skills so that they are to run their farm enterprises better.
He added they are also encouraging farmers to use organic manure in the production of high-value crops such as green vegetables and tomatoes.
The meeting at which stakeholders in agriculture spoke was organised by KickStart International, a non-profit social enterprise with a mission to lift millions of people out of poverty quickly, cost-effectively, and sustainably.
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