By Kampala Post Reporter
President Yoweri Museveni has saluted the generation of elders in the Ankole Sub-Region, for embracing modern farming methods and also supporting the liberation struggle by allowing their children to join.
He observed that the elders’ wisdom in embracing modern economic production is evident in the current wealth from improved cattle keeping practices, commercialization of dairy products and the good education standards of their children.
“I have come here to remind you of the long preserved friendship I had with the elders of this area after I had completed higher education at Ntare School, who teamed up to have this area developed and allowed their children to join the war against Idi Amin,” he said.
The President made the remarks on Saturday at the wedding reception of UNRA Legal Officer, Mr Pecos Kashaija and his newly wed bride Priscilla at the home of the groom’s parents in Burama-Kiguma in Kazo District. Kashaija is grandson to the late Yosia Kentooma who was a close associate of the President.
Museveni commended the elders for being visionary at the time to be able to amass wealth through trade and modern cattle-keeping characterized by land fencing, paddocking their farms and protection of their animals against ticks and cattle-related diseases. He revealed that by 1970, his initiative and sensitization campaign had sunk into some people’s minds. The President saluted the elders and urged the youth to emulate them.
Mr. Museveni revealed that the intimate friendship he had with the late Yosia Kentooma and others, made him make it to the wedding reception adding that the occasion afforded him another opportunity to further educate the people of the area to utilize their small land holdings fully to derive wealth from them.
“A farmer on one acre of land that has no bushes and shrubs but has planted pasture, can rear eight high breed cows or twelve local breeds based on industrial rather than free-range grazing,” he said. He encouraged farmers to be innovative and apply modern farming methods on their small pieces of land in order to get maximum financial profits.
Regarding the current low prices of milk, President Museveni attributed it to much production of milk in the entire East African region, Kenya inclusive, where Uganda had previously exported milk extensively. He, however, assured them that Government is looking forward to exporting milk to other markets like that in China.
Mzee Nathan Tumushabe and his wife Eva, parents of the bridegroom, thanked President Museveni for valuing the friendship with their family and love for ordinary people in the country.
