President Yoweri Museveni has reechoed government’s plan to eradicate household poverty through modern mechanized farming.
Speaking during the handover of heavy agricultural machinery and vehicles to agricultural extension workers at Namalere Agricultural Referral Mechanization centre in Wakiso District on Thursday, Museveni noted that agricultural mechanization is the most critical intervention that can spur large scale commercial farming in Uganda.
The consignment that was procured by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) at almost Shs.46 billion includes 12 pieces of earth moving equipment, 284 tractors, 126 vehicles allotted to district local governments and 1061 motorcycles for Sub-counties.
The President, who toured exhibitions showcasing different value-added agricultural products, encouraged local leaders in the country to share the knowledge of modern agriculture with the farmers in the villages.
“God gave us the example of the parable of talents. Some lost them, some did not multiply them but those who multiplied them were rewarded. God gives you a responsibility to wake up people who do not know. If you do not carry out your responsibility, you might be shut from heaven,” he said.
Museveni stressed that for farmers to embrace modern technology, there must be a change in their attitude. He reiterated that farmers must be
calculative and use fertilizers to increase productivity of their production activities.
“A tractor can do 5 acres per day but a human being can take a month. We are not only going to end with tractors. You have heard that that we opened up a phosphate fertilizer factory in Tororo,” he said.
Vincent de Lassagne, the the General Manager High Growth Markets- Africa, Middle East and Pakistan-New Holland told Museveni that they are willing to setup a tractor assembling plant in Uganda.
