Minister Commends Operation Wealth Creation

By George Mangula

The Minister of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja,  has commended  Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) programme, saying a number of initiatives and activities undertaken have greatly increased production and productivity across various enterprises including the recent bumper harvest in maize.

“OWC has been and is still boosting the supply of farmer inputs for crops, livestock, fish, post-harvest management, farm equipment etc. I commend OWC for this effort. Production of maize has increased over the years and this is attributed mainly to distribution of seed by government, increased adoption of improved maize varieties by farmers, as well as increased vigilance by government to control pests and diseases,” Ssempijja said on Tuesday while addressing reporters at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala during the weekly press briefing.

He said maize production statistics based on district returns to UBOS show a steady increase overtime from 1.17 million metric tons (MT) in 2001 to about 2.55 million MT in 2011 and above 5 million MT in 2018. “With regard to tea, there is marked increased in leaf production with reports of over production beyond the existing tea processing capacity in the districts of Bushenyi, Kyenjojo, Kabarole, Kanungu and Buhweju,” he said.

He added that the increase in leaf production has led to the establishment of 6 new tea factories in Kabale, Kisoro, Bushenyi and Kyenjojo.  He said 17 new factories are expected to be built in the next three years under the Uganda Tea Growers and Processors Consortium.

As a result of government initiatives through provision of seedlings, he said, tea exports have significantly increased.

He cited the Mombasa weekly market report for the month of December 2018 which showed Uganda registered 71,000 metric tons of tea, the highest ever in the history of tea growing of the country.

“The support towards production of fruits has focused on provision of seedlings for citrus, mangoes, apples and pineapples to farmers in district local governments. The interventions on the above key strategic fruits are stimulating the need to establish Agro-based factories in the different production areas,” he said.

He said government through NAADS in partnership with Alvan Blanch, a UK Company, has earmarked funds for establishing fruit processing factories starting with locations in Nwoya, Nakaseke, and Kayunga commencing this financial year 2018/19; with 2 additional fruit factories planned in Busoga and Greater Masaka sub regions in the financial year 2019/20.

He said recent export earnings of fruits and vegetables have increased by up to 85.13 percent from US$20.77 million in 2014 to US$38.46 million in 2017.

He highlighted some of the key achievements the agricultural sector has registered as; the sector grew by 6 percent for the first time in two decades from 3.2 percent in 2016/17, export earnings rose by 9.6 percent to US$ 3.93 billion in the period July 2017 to March 2018 from US$ 3.59 billion a year earlier and the sector contribution to GDP increased from 24.9 in 2016/17 to 26.2 percent. “This increase was mainly on account of a rise in the export volumes of coffee, tea, maize and beans,” he said.