By Prossy Nandudu
The Government, through the finance ministry, has set aside shillings 2.2 trillion in the budget for the 2023/2024 financial year to address food insecurity.
Initiatives to benefit from the shillings 2.2 trillion include the commercialisation of agriculture and support of agricultural research for the development of climate-resilient crops and animal species.
The money is also expected to also promote environmental conservation, restoration, and protection of degraded water catchment areas including forest cover, and construct small, medium, and large-scale irrigation schemes in water-stressed areas.
In the same period, the Government plans to implement large-scale mechanisation and irrigation and promote partnerships with large commercial farmers for the production of strategic commodities, such as coffee maize and tea to meet national and international demand.
Using the same funds, the construction of earth dams at Unyama in Gulu, Namalu in Nakapiripirit, Sipi in Bulambuli, Kabuyanda in Isingiro, among others will be handled in the next financial year.
While reading the budget speech on Thursday at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds in Kampala, Kasaija added that the funds will support existing food security interventions going through government institutions with farms.
He added that in the year ending, shillings 110 billion was provided for food security interventions through government institutions with farms like the army, Uganda Prisons, the agriculture ministry, the National Agricultural Research Organisation, and the National Agricultural Genetics Resource Centre and Databank.
The next financial year’s budget was read under the theme: Full Monetisation of Uganda’s Economy through Commercial Agriculture, Industrialisation, Expanding and Broadening Services, Digital Transformation, and Market Access.
