Kapeeka, Uganda, Tuesday 2 July 2019 – His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio has visited Uganda’s major hub that supports agro-based small and medium-sized enterprises for a first-hand experience of how factories in Kapeeka, in the Nakaseke district, promote commercial agriculture.
The rural industrial hub, 63 kilometres from the Capital, Kampala, is a joint pub-private partnership venture and plays host to a 2.5 square mile industrial park, a logistic and e-voucher servicing centre that provides genuine seeds, equipment and fertilizers. The hub also produces innovative young entrepreneurs and agribusiness leaders to champion productivity that can spinoff new enterprises.
The President, who was in his second of an official three-day state visit to the east African nation, was also taken on a conducted tour of the industrial area and agro-processing facility by the Minister of agriculture, animal industry and fisheries in Uganda, Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja, MP.
The minister said they had empowered farmers to not only farm but also to be able to process agricultural produce, adding that it was President Museveni’s vision to promote farming and process farm harvests to boost the economy and to help farmers to get the most out of their harvests.
Mr Ssempijja also briefed the Sierra Leone delegation, which comprised Minister of Finance, Jacob Jusu Saffa and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mrs Nabeela Tunis, on the technology and strategy they were using to promote farming and agro-processing. He also showed them the Ho and Mu Food Technology, a multinational The company deals in fruits, makes dried mangoes, dried pineapple, mango whisky and pineapple wine.
In his remarks, President Bio told dignitaries present at the agro-processing facility that Sierra Leone would want to learn from the Ugandan experiment and experience. He applauded the initiative while noting that because of the similarity in culture it was important that they shared experiences and skills on successful policies and technologies in the agriculture sector.
He thanked the government and people of Uganda for supporting their President and promised that his minister of agriculture would visit Uganda in the near future to further strengthen the cooperation in ways that would help Sierra Leone transform its agriculture industry.
President Bio also disclosed that his visit to the Namunkekera Agro Processing hub was the idea of host President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who was showcasing efforts being made by his government to promote agro-processing in Uganda. He praised the strategy that the Ugandan government was using to enhance farming, improve the lives of farmers and boost the country’s economy.
The President also shared his vision and commitment to expanding the economy of Sierra Leone with agriculture as one of his key economic diversification vehicles.
President Bio will wrap up his visit on Wednesday 3 July 2019 after his keynote address on “Africa’s Opportunity to Lead in the 4th Industrial Revolution” at the Africa Blockchain Conference in Kampala.
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