The Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja has said Uganda will soon stop importing rice from other countries.
While addressing the media at the new Government supported 16 square mile Rice growing scheme today in Bulambuli District, the Minister said Uganda has been importing Rice worth more than US$200m (Shs745.3bn) every year, but due to many efforts by Government, the Country will be able to stand on its own within a period of one year from now.
“We started this campaign to make sure that we increase rice production. We are now able to tell the public that a year from now we will be standing on our own without importing any rice,” Ssempijja said.
He added that his ministry has partnered with big companies like Kingdom Rice, Zhong Rice, Zeos Ltd, Mechanized Agro in Masindi Distric and the South-South Cooperation to ensure constant production of rice to satisfy the demand.
He was accompanied by the State Minister for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Michael Kafabusa Werikhe, a technical team from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries and the Directors of Zeos Company Ltd.
