My goal is to improve agricultural productivity – MAAIF PS
L-R Incoming MAAIF PS Maj Gen David Kasura Kyomukama receives office documents from outgoing MAAIF PS Mr Pius Wakabi during the handover ceremony at MAAIF head offices in Entebbe. Photo | Eve Muganga
What you need to know:
- 'To have high-value agricultural products, we have to ensure appropriate agricultural technologies, ensure knowledge and skill for the people who are working in this sector and for the consumers,” he added.
The incoming Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) Maj Gen David Kasura Kyomukama has vowed to transform agricultural production.
“Our mission is to ensure the productivity grows from 22 per cent to 70 per cent of the GDP. We shall ensure that the conditions are there to make them work well,” he said while receiving office from the outgoing permanent secretary Mr Pius Wakabi at MAAIF head offices in Entebbe.
'To have high-value agricultural products, we have to ensure appropriate agricultural technologies, ensure knowledge and skill for the people who are working in this sector and for the consumers,” he added.
Maj Gen Kyomukama noted: “70 per cent of Uganda’s workforce is employed in agriculture, 22 percent of GDP is produced, and this means a lot of our people work for very little, are caught up in poverty, backwardness, and caught in the circle of hunger. Our people are poor and that’s the fact, therefore, the productivity in this country should be improved.”
Mr Pius Wakabi, the outgoing permanent secretary who has served in this position for four years said he has left the ministry in good shape with better agricultural projects taking centre stage.
He, however, advised Maj Gen Kyomukama to be careful with illegalities on the lake.
“Relate with people on the lake and everything will be much better and enforcement will be much easier,” he said.
The minister of state for Animal Industry Lt Col Bright Rwamirama said the effectiveness of farming is business, thus advising farmers to save food for themselves and for the rest of the world. He said this can only be done by increasing productivity.
