Uganda can take hope from the development and progress of Irish agriculture in recent times, according to Vincent Ssempijja, their minister for argiculture.
Speaking with the Irish Farmers Journal at this year’s Ploughing Championships, Ssempijja draws inspiration from Irish agriculture.
“We have seen a lot of innovation, which is very encouraging. When the Irish people have these successes, eventually we will share these successes so I am encouraged by what I have seen.”
“I have seen how all the farms in Ireland improved its grass, how farms has made hay, the way it is collected, dried and baled,” he continued.
“That is why I am here. We need to borrow from Ireland because Ireland made it [succeeded] through farming. We have the same history. We were colonised in the same way. We think, if Ireland has struggled through, let’s go and share the knowledge so we will not make the same mistakes.”
“We can use our brothers and sisters in Ireland to change our situation in Uganda through agriculture.”
Farmers should not remain in poverty, or farm for the sake of farming.
Ugandan agriculture
Coffee and dairy are the main agricultural enterprises in Uganda.
Ssempijja, a farmer himself, believes agriculture in the African state has three main challenges.
“Income is a big challenge at the moment. Our objectives in Uganda at the moment is making sure we have food security, that every homestead must have something to eat and that includes incomes for farmers. Farmers should not remain in poverty, or farm for the sake of farming. They should get good income out of their sweat. The third is making sure we are exporting.”
“Our location, weather and the conditions of our soils means we are in a good place to feed the region around us. Therefore the farmers would have better incomes,” he continued.
Ssempijja was at the Ploughing Championships with other senior officials from Uganda. The Ugandan delegation arrived last Sunday and will return home on Saturday.
Read more
Watch: farmers connect with markets in Kenya and Uganda
Full coverage: Ploughing 2017
Uganda can take hope from the development and progress of Irish agriculture in recent times, according to Vincent Ssempijja, their minister for argiculture.
Speaking with the Irish Farmers Journal at this year’s Ploughing Championships, Ssempijja draws inspiration from Irish agriculture.
“We have seen a lot of innovation, which is very encouraging. When the Irish people have these successes, eventually we will share these successes so I am encouraged by what I have seen.”
“I have seen how all the farms in Ireland improved its grass, how farms has made hay, the way it is collected, dried and baled,” he continued.
“That is why I am here. We need to borrow from Ireland because Ireland made it [succeeded] through farming. We have the same history. We were colonised in the same way. We think, if Ireland has struggled through, let’s go and share the knowledge so we will not make the same mistakes.”
“We can use our brothers and sisters in Ireland to change our situation in Uganda through agriculture.”
Farmers should not remain in poverty, or farm for the sake of farming.
Ugandan agriculture
Coffee and dairy are the main agricultural enterprises in Uganda.
Ssempijja, a farmer himself, believes agriculture in the African state has three main challenges.
“Income is a big challenge at the moment. Our objectives in Uganda at the moment is making sure we have food security, that every homestead must have something to eat and that includes incomes for farmers. Farmers should not remain in poverty, or farm for the sake of farming. They should get good income out of their sweat. The third is making sure we are exporting.”
“Our location, weather and the conditions of our soils means we are in a good place to feed the region around us. Therefore the farmers would have better incomes,” he continued.
Ssempijja was at the Ploughing Championships with other senior officials from Uganda. The Ugandan delegation arrived last Sunday and will return home on Saturday.
Read more
Watch: farmers connect with markets in Kenya and Uganda
Full coverage: Ploughing 2017
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