The President’s Initiative on the four-acre farming approach will be part of the youth skilling centers in the country.
The four-acre approach or model aspires to have a farmer earning up to one hundred million shillings from a four-acre piece of land.
According to Museveni’s calculation, the farmer should have a coffee plantation on one acre, fruits (citrus and mangoes, pineapples, pasture) on the second acre, pastures for feeding the livestock on the 3rd acre, and 4th acre for the food crop growing.
This model is part of the initiatives being promoted under the Parish Development Model which should be running for the third year since it was launched. Rose Kabangeni, a senior presidential advisor on agriculture in charge of four acres model project who is currently in Northern Uganda says it is now being included as one of the units at youth scaling centers.
Kabangeni told URN during an interview from Gulu City that the idea is to equip youth with agricultural skills for community transformation through farming.
She disclosed that the initiative was launched on Wednesday from the Acholi zonal presidential youth skilling center in Oding Village, Unyama Sub County, Gulu district.
Four acres model farming is an initiative by President Yoweri Museveni with the objective of ending food insecurity, promoting livelihood, mindset change, and utilization of land for massive production.
Under the initiative, farmers are required to utilize four acres of land for agro-forestry, livestock, fishery, and crop production.
Kabangeni disclosed that the government has earmarked 60 million shillings for the program.
Samuel Oyet Agwani, the Assistant Manager of Oding Youth Skilling Centre told URN that they have started training youth at the centre on the initiative following the launch on Wednesday.
However, he expressed that the program could be frustrated by the persistent dry spell currently being experienced across the northern region.
Christopher Opiyo Ateker, the Gulu district chairperson says that the initiative is crucial in bringing up productive youth.
Currently Oding youth skilling Centre has a total of 249 youth who are currently undergoing training in bricklaying and concrete practice, hairdressing, tailoring and garment cutting, welding and metal fabrication, carpentry, and joinery and bakery.
The government through the State House has established 21 zonal industrial hubs constructed in all sub-regions of Uganda with the aim of skilling 12, 600 youths yearly.
–URN
