President Museveni launches 4-Acre model campaign to boost commercial agriculture
As the campaign gains momentum, it is expected to catalyze further investment in agriculture.
Kakumiro: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has launched the 4-Acre Model Campaign, a significant initiative aimed at transforming Uganda’s agricultural landscape and lifting households out of poverty.
The campaign, which was officially launched on Friday at Kamanyire Demonstration Farm in Kikwaya Sub-County, Kakumiro District, is designed to encourage farmers to diversify and intensify agricultural practices, ultimately boosting productivity and contributing to broader economic growth in Uganda.
During the launch, President Museveni emphasized the critical importance of intensive and extensive agriculture to increase yields and improve livelihoods.
The 4-Acre Model encourages farmers to allocate one acre for coffee, another for fruits, a third for staple crops, and the fourth for livestock. This approach seeks to optimize the use of land while ensuring sustainability and food security.
As part of his address, President Museveni also made a significant announcement the dissolution of the Uganda Coffee Development Authority, citing its mismanagement of coffee cultivation in the country.
He encouraged farmers to adopt modern farming methods, including the rearing of exotic cattle, which require less space, and discouraged the cultivation of crops such as sugarcane, tobacco, and maize, which demand large expanses of land.
The President praised Minister Fred Byamukama for his proactive role in promoting the 4-Acre Model, urging him to continue educating Ugandans on the benefits of the initiative.
Byamukama, who owns the Kamanyire Demonstration Farm, has set an example with his own diversified farming practices. His farm includes one acre of bananas, one acre of animal grass, over 100 pigs, poultry, and six cows for milk production.
He also expressed his ambition to have more than 10 model farmers in Kakumiro District within five years, emphasizing the need for public leaders to be role models in development.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabanja highlighted the widespread adoption of the 4-Acre Model, with numerous success stories emerging. One such example is Abigaba Stewart, a farmer who has earned approximately 9 million Ugandan shillings from just two acres of coffee.
Other farmers have expressed their gratitude for the initiative, particularly those who have found maize farming unprofitable and are now thriving with diversified crops and livestock under the new model.
The 4-Acre Model is positioned as a key strategy in Uganda’s efforts to promote commercial agriculture, enhance manufacturing, and drive ICT and service sector growth, ultimately helping to reduce poverty and improve the living standards of rural households.
As the campaign gains momentum, it is expected to catalyze further investment in agriculture and rural development across the country, with the hope of seeing more success stories like those in Kakumiro.
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