The Minister of State for Kampala, Kabuye Kyofatogabye has advised the youth to join commercial agriculture in order to transform their lives.
Kabuye made the remarks during the launch of a new agricultural project dubbed, The Youth Empowerment and Development in Commercial Agriculture (YEDCA) project.
The project is aimed at equipping the youth with market and financial literacy skills, provide them with resources like seeds, capital among others.
Speaking at the launch held at Nakawa Division headquarters, Kabuye said that the project is very timely because it is addressing a subsector where the youth can be engaged in a variety of activities and circumstances in which their interest can be picked, and trained to become active and not passive market actors.
He noted that the youth are very easily attracted to the agricultural sector most especially the quick but not easy money side of agriculture such as vegetable and fruit growing.
Kabuye revealed that the demand for organic agricultural produce is on the increase worldwide and yet it cannot be fully met by the local suppliers.
“Those that are engaged in the sector are earning up to 3000USD per month and still, the demand is still great….it is possible to have small holder farmers coming together and bridging the agricultural products gap. When I say this intervention is timely, it is indeed timely,” Kabuye said.
He however revealed that the lack of support for the youth as well as the urban farming sector has hindered many from participating in agriculture.
Kabuye said that it is important to adapt a holistic approach that will address these key constraints that negatively influence, sway the sector.
“As we deliberate on the enhancement of the financing aspects of youth in agriculture that a holistic approach is adapted to address key constraints that negatively influence /sway the sector,” he said.
He noted that once these are addressed, the sector will be influenced by the youth and the key market players will make it far more vibrant and dynamic.
At the Launch, the Ministers statement was read by Lilian Nakazi the Administrative officer in the office of the State Minister for Kampala.
Speaking at the same event, Laban Musinguzi the Chief Executive Officer of Agro-Fresh Uganda, said that they hope the project will help skill, and provide the youth with the necessary knowledge in the Agricultural Sector.
Musinguzi said that they will focus on urban farming since most of the youth do not have big chunks of land.
“We are to engage the youth, in groups of 10-35, teach them how to engage in urban farming, and help them get loans from banks,”Musinguzi said.
The project is being funded by the Bank of Uganda, Coalition for Sustainable Development Goals, and Post Bank.