Muslims urged to utilize idle land for Cocoa, Banana growing

Jinja, (UG):- The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) Chairman, Al-hajj Prof Dr Muhamadi Lubega Kisambira has rallied Muslim leaders in Busoga Muslim region to embrace cocoa and banana growing by using the dormant pieces of land of Muslim institutions.

Prof Lubega, also the first deputy prime minister of Busoga Kingdom, says there are over 80 acres of land at mosques and other Muslim institutions in Busoga that need to be put to use by the respective leaders to generate income for the Muslim fraternity at various levels.

During the consultative meeting with Muslim leaders from Busoga Muslim region led by the regional assistant to the Mufti Sheikh Muhammad Hussein Bowa, Dr Lubega with support from other resourceful people took the leaders through the training on cocoa growing.

The meeting that took place in Walukuba Jinja city on Wednesday was aimed at rallying all Muslim leaders to start using the currently idle Muslim land at their institutions by embracing cocoa and banana plantations.

Dr Lubega said that the initiative targets about 36,000 cocoa trees at the start within the region before extending the initiative to all the ten Muslim regions in the Country by the end of next year, considering it as a basis for income generation.

“This initiative targets 80 acres (36,000 cocoa trees) around Busoga but will be scaled out to all the 10 Muslim regions around the country by the end of 2025 as a sustainable income generation intervention,” he said.

He was identified as a cocoa master trainer together with one Kabaaga Ismeal pledged to offer technical support to the implementation of the project, noting its volubility and ready market for the harvests which is not the case for other crops being prioritized in the region.

On behalf of other Muslim leaders in Busoga, the regional Kadhi Sheikh Hussein Bowa pledged commitment to the intervention and welcomed it. He promised to spread the message to other leaders up to the grassroots and ensure that it becomes a success, adding that it will facilitate financial independence for Muslim institutions in the country.