Museveni meets China-Uganda Agricultural Cooperation delegation

By Mike Ssegawa

President Yoweri Museveni has held a meeting with the China – Uganda Agricultural Cooperation Industrial Park delegation. Vice-President, Mr. Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi, led the delegation.

The delegation, which called on the President yesterday at State House, Entebbe briefed Mr. Museveni on the progress of the Industrial Park in Luweero district. The President commissioned the construction work on the US$220 million project over a year ago on 26th April 2016.

Mr. Luo Heng, Chairman of Kehong Group, the organization that is involved in the construction of the complex, said the Park was listed in June 2017 as one of the 18 China Overseas Demonstration Parks in the world. He called for further cooperation between the Government of Uganda and Kehong Group to ensure that the Park becomes the model for East Africa. 

The Group has identified areas of cooperation as irrigation and storage of grain stocks to address drought associated challenges that occasionally occur in Luweero, Nakasongola and Nakaseke districts.

President Museveni thanked the delegation for thinking about Uganda in terms of investment and their plans to support irrigation projects in the country.

“We are going to lay a lot of emphasis on irrigation; gravitational irrigation in the mountainous areas and solar in the non-mountainous areas,” he said.

Mr. Museveni called upon the Government of China to partner with the Irish Potato Research Centre at Kachwekano, Kabale district in South Western Region. He also welcomed the Chinese interest in tourism saying that Uganda has a variety of attractions to offer such good climate, wildlife, indigenous culture, and water bodies among others.

Mr. Ren Yongchang, who is Director General of the Sichuan Provincial Department of Agriculture in China, said that the Chinese Government is very pleased with the Industrial Park project in Luweero.