FRONASA veterans cooperative members in Bukedi sub-region have been encouraged to revive the former cotton ginneries as part of enterprises to be undertaken by their cooperative. Vianney Matovu Ngoma the national Chief Whip / Political Commissar FRONASA veterans association asked the ex-servicemen to look at the former ginneries owned by South Bukedi cooperative union as business opportunities for the cooperative.
The former cotton ginning facilities include Dabani in Busia, Iki-iki in Budaka, Busolwe in Butalaja and Nagongera in West Budama in Tororo districts. The facilities in addition to processing the cotton before export also employed many local residents then but most have been lying idle while others were taken over by Indians but have also collapsed due to unstable cotton prices which drove farmers to lose interest in growing cotton.
“We are targeting getting trillions of shillings, some of which will be used to renovate and equip these facilities to make them functional again,” Ngoma said.
He consequently appealed to the management of Bukedi FRONASA veterans cooperators to identify land and start growing cotton on large scale and also mobilize the out growers to engage in court production. The members welcomed the idea and noted that Bukedi has been zoned by the ministry of agriculture as suitable for cotton production.
The ex-servicemen from Uganda and Kenya vowed to work collectively by doing all it takes to make their cooperative vibrant. They, however, appealed for government support which Ngoma assured them that he has consulted many government agencies and that they are willing to support the ex-servicemen cooperatives.
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