Minister Vincent Bamulangaki  Ssempija  echoes Government to replicate Palm Oil farming to other Districts

KAMPALA, Uganda–The Minister for Agriculture Animal Industries and Fisheries Vincent Bamulangaki  Ssempija  has reiterated the need for government to replicate palm oil farming to other districts where the crop can grow well.

“As  Ministry of Agriculture we are going to encourage farmers from the districts of Mayuge,  Mpigi , Masasaka, Kalungu  and some  from Bunyoro to embrace  the growing  of palm oil because  of the economic  and social benefits associated  with the crop to the community” Ssempija said in an interview with  East African Business Week .

Ssempijja added that the more districts embrace the palm oil farming, the more the country will attract more investors to invest in the value addition chain in the vegetable oil sector.

“The more investors we have in the vegetable oil sector, the more jobs we will be able create thus improving the local livelihoods,” He added.

Currently there are only two districts that are growing palm oil that is; Kalangala and Buvuma districts.

Speaking during the Launch of the second evaluation of the vegetable oil development project phase II, recently, the Minister noted that under the project, government has managed to construct about 250km of farm roads which now ease the movement of local people and also support the development of small business in the district.

The Minister said more people in the two districts have expanded their palm oil garden. “The more Districts embrace palm oil growing the more we shall protect our Environment, “ Sempijja said

The minister added that before the project, many islanders from Kalangala and Buvuma islands were depending on fishing and charcoal burning which depleted the country’s natural resources  especially fish and forests but with the palm oil project, many islanders have left charcoal burning to grow palm oil trees and are earning more than charcoal burning.

Source: UkrAgroConsult