During the tour in Kiruhura district, Mr Joris Van Bommel, who’s the current Head of Development Cooperation and Economic Affairs and Deputy Ambassador at the Netherlands Embassy urged the Ugandan government to engage youth in farming. (PML Daily PHOTO)
MBARARA– The Deputy Ambassador and, Head of Development Cooperation and Economic Affairs at the Netherlands Embassy Joris Van Bommel has called on government to engage youth in agriculture.
Mr Bommel who was touring some of the Netherlands funded projects under SNV Netherlands Development foundation in Ankole districts said Uganda has potentials to spur development through agriculture and that one of these are the youths.
“The country has potentials including the youths who should be better positioned to spur agriculture in this country. The country needs to strategically engage the youth in agriculture then other assistance like expertise can come in to enhance this potential,” said Bommel.
Bommel’s comment comes at a time when youths unemployment in the country remains high, according to the UBOS 2016 report, in 2015 almost three quarters(74.4 percent) of the youth were unemployed with males(80.7 percent) depicting higher proportion than females(69.7 percent).
In Uganda, majority of the youths have shunned the agricultural sector and resorted to urban centres for what is termed as quick money.
The Netherlands Ambassador and his team toured among others Kyakabunga dairy farmer cooperative society which the Netherlands government gave milk coolers and extension services.
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