BUTALEJJA – Presidential Candidate Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde has rallied the people of Bukedi to vote for change promising to support rice farmers in Butalejja districts through giving them farm tools and capacity building.
Tumukunde who has campaigned in the districts of Budaka, Butalejja and Busia said that farmers put in alot but their return on investment is low because there is no proper intervention by government to see that they benefit from their work.
“Butalejja is one of the NRM supporting districts. There about two issues one is about their rice growing project and the fact that they don’t get any benefits out if it because they don’t add value to it. Nothing is added to sweeten packaging and get better prices,” he said.
Tumukunde revealed that he was told they[rice growers] have a title that is supposed to be given to the group.
“Am told there has been a bit of friction between them and government because they have not been able to give them this tittle. And then for us we shall give them the tittle and we shall make sure that it is owned by the cooperative where people are listed and can sell shares I’d they want,” said Tumukunde.
He added that his concern is that the youth need to access credit to be able to do very many things without being forced into projects by just a share force of government.
“We should allow individual initiative and a selfish mind of individuals to drive business rather than trying to package them together when they don’t have a common interest,”
He also pledged to improve the road network connecting Butalejja to other districts to facilitate the movement of both people and their produce.
