Kabale, (UG): On Monday, November 18, the minister of state for Trade, Hon David Bahati delivered at least 43,354 seedlings of Hass Avocado as part of the Shs400million avocado growing project commissioned in Kabale District, western Uganda.
The multimillion-dollar project launched aims to “improve household incomes in rural areas” according to the trade minister.
“We have procured about 43,354 Hass Avocado seedlings at a cost of Shs8,000 each to be planted during this rainy season. This project will supplement the existing government programs of wealth creation that includes the Parish Development Model,” Minister Bahati said this through his remarks delivered by his political assistant Mr Wilber Kanyesigye.
The Minister added that through this project, “they will rely on the employed agriculture extension workers at every sub-county to provide advisory services to the farmers.”
According to the Kabale District Agriculture Officer Deus Bagambana, the Hass Avocado tree matures in two years and yields between 200 and 400 fruits per year under good care and management.
Rev Canon Milton Nkurunungi (Kigezi Diocese Secretary) and the Kabale District Khadi Sheik Kabu Lule who received the seedlings on behalf of the residents promised to utilize the church and mosque land in their jurisdiction for planting Hass Avocado as an income-generating enterprise.
“We are so grateful to Bahati and the government for supporting the faith-based institutions in Kabale District with the Hass Avocado growing project. It is now our duty to ensure that the project is successful so that it can provide an alternative income to our faith-based institutions that have always depended on offertories from the believers,” Sheik Kabu Lule said.
The coordinator of the Sustainable Agriculture Program at Kabale diocese, Frank Karusya, welcomed the project saying that it will promote soil and environmental conservation and nutrition besides the expected economic benefits.
“Our target as Kabale Diocese is to utilize all the church and school land for growing Hass Avocado because we already know its benefits,” Karusya remarked on Monday.
He added; “We shall soon launch Sustainable Agriculture clubs in our schools to demonstrate the importance of growing fruit trees for nutrition, environmental protection and the related economic benefits.”
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