The State Minister for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Hon. Kyakulaga Fred Bwino has urged key players in the agricultural sector to engage in value addition practices that ensure food security.
Hon. Fred Bwino made these remarks today at Uganda Media Center(UMC) while launching activities to commemorate the 2022 World Food Day, which will be held on October 16th at National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI) in Namulonge, Wakiso district.
Organised under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), the celebrations will provide a platform to call for action across sectors that ensure Agro-forestry systems to deliver enough food, which is affordable, nutritious and safe for all citizens in the country.
Measures to mitigate devastating impacts of climate change which are a threat to food security in Uganda and East Africa will also be discussed.
The state minister for agriculture clearly stated that farming revolutionalization is a key step to deliver socio-economic transformation, vital in actualizing food security, hence fostering sustainable development.
“Agri-food systems transformation is a key driver for socio-economic transformation, and it is imperative that to commemorate the World Food Day 22, the country takes stock of development and commitments made to make food and feed available and affordable to foster sustainable development and prosperity for all,” said Fred Bwino.
The celebrations at NaCRRI Namulonge will be organized under the theme” Leave no one behind, Better Production, Better nutrition, Better environment and Better life,”
“This theme is in recognition of the fact that, even as we work towards zero hunger by 2030, there are people who still experience food insecurity and malnutrition affecting their quality of life and overall outcomes,” added Hon. Fred Bwino.
Today’s press briefing to launch activities to commemorate the 2022 World Food Day sets a centre stage for other series of events, leading to the major celebrations at Namulonge.
These activities include the media launch which has been finalized today, and the policy dialogue session which will take place at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) on October 13th.
“Today I held a press briefing to launch activities to commemorate World Food Day. I called for agri-food systems transformation to improve socio-economic development, better production, better environment and better life for all, ” Twitted Hon. Fred Bwino.
He also said that MAAIF Uganda is working tirelessly to liberate farmers still stuck in subsitence farming, graduating them to commercial agriculture to household income of up to 20 million UGX per year.
The World Food Day is celebrated to point out global hunger issues and raise awareness of food quality, safety and nutrition.
It is also aimed at highlighting ways to revolutionalize agriculture which is the backbone of Uganda’s economy, with 68% of the citizens employed in the agricultural sector and generating 25% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to recent estimates by Word Bank.
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