• Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Donate
  • Login
Watchdog Uganda
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • Finance
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Op-Ed
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
    • Showbiz
  • People
    • Entrepreneurs
    • Stars
    • Politicians
  • Special Report
    • Education
  • Travel
  • Video
  • Luganda
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • Finance
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Op-Ed
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
    • Showbiz
  • People
    • Entrepreneurs
    • Stars
    • Politicians
  • Special Report
    • Education
  • Travel
  • Video
  • Luganda
No Result
View All Result
Watchdog Uganda
No Result
View All Result

Make agriculture cool at schools to entice, attract participation of the youth

watchdog by watchdog
4 years ago
in Luganda, National, Voices
6 0
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

By Stephen Sembuya

As a cocoa farmer and a Chocolatier in Uganda and eventually a Forbes Magazine Africa 30 under 30 Honoree my experience is accounted as below;

Estimates indicate that only a fraction of graduates in Uganda with some form of qualification get absorbed in the limited job market. At least 400,000 graduate each year at various public and private universities.

Hill Water

Unfortunately, projects registered by Uganda Investment Authority indicate only 150,000 jobs are created annually leaving the rest potentially jobless. Statistics according to Uganda National Household Survey 2012/2013 show youth unemployment in Uganda stands at 62% representing 4.4 Million of 7.2 million youth.
In Uganda, agriculture is identified as one of the economic pillars. The connection between agricultural development and Uganda’s ability to adhere to its’ food and nutrition security goals are inextricably linked.
Due to the compelling evidence of the aging farmer population in the country, development must include the youth to address and facilitate the sustainability in agriculture production. Therefore there is need to entice, attract participation with effort to change the negative perception the youth have towards agriculture as uneducated, unskilled, physical laborers with extremely low economic return.

Cocoa farming is one of the biggest cash crop production with about 20,000 hectares under cocoa cultivation that supports over 10,000 households in Uganda. According to a report by Swiss contact a Non Government Organisation, 26,412 metric tonnes worth 72.536 million dollars worth of cocoa was exported by December 2015 making Cocoa production one of the major income generating agricultural produce in the country.
Our farm and nursery has become a model farm for training of cocoa seedlings development and value addition through artisan chocolate making. There’s a production of edible chocolate called Chocolate Uganda, Nile chocolate and Pearl chocolate as well as drinking chocolate and cocoa butter.

This has proved that modern agriculture is more than tilling the soil and animals as the sector today offers career opportunities in research, environment, financial management, engineering and other technical areas for the youth to explore.

Therefore, government agencies like OWC , NAADS and development partners must make youths accept farming as a commercial business venture with increased access to education and new forms of agriculture based enterprises. Young people can be a vital force for innovation in family farming increasing incomes and well being for both farmers and local communities.

Farmers, businesses, policy makers and educators need to promote agriculture as an intellectually stimulating and economically sustainable career while making jobs in the agriculture and food system attractive to youths for benefits and also motivating the youth to stay in rural areas as inputs can be delivered at their farm gates, on credit basis and interest free



Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at editorial@watchdoguganda.com

Share1Tweet1Send
Previous Post

Tanga Odoi’s EC makes Sh88 million in two days from EALA aspirants

Next Post

President Museveni to AfDB: price of electricity too high

Next Post

President Museveni to AfDB: price of electricity too high

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Our news in your inbox. Subscribe to receive Watchdog Uganda news in your email at no cost.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Facebook Twitter

Contact Information

Plot 23, Yusuf Lule Road
PO Box 7661 Kampala, Uganda
Office Line: +256 777 286 815
Email: editorial@watchdoguganda.com
To Advertise:Click here

© 2020 Watchdog Uganda

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • Finance
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Op-Ed
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
    • Showbiz
  • People
    • Entrepreneurs
    • Stars
    • Politicians
  • Special Report
    • Education
  • Travel
  • Video
  • Luganda

© 2020 Watchdog Uganda

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In