Minister Rwamirama moots commercial system for grazing land
The Minister for Animal Husbandry, Bright Rwamirama, has announced a strategic initiative to integrate all areas within the rangelands into commercial systems.
This was revealed during a dialogue on the rangeland management policy, where stakeholders advocated for broadening the tax base within cattle corridors and highlighted the need for comprehensive evaluation of rangeland resources.
Land suitable for grazing livestock.
During the dialogue, Minister Rwamirama emphasised the pressing need for a shift from subsistence-oriented communities to commercially oriented farming practices.
He underscored the government's investments in supporting communities, including the establishment of feed reserves for emergency actions, construction of water reserves, and strengthening animal disease control.
"We are reminded of the challenges affecting agriculture sectors, particularly in the livestock and pastoral production systems, more so in the rangelands," he said.
"One of the problems we face is the underdevelopment and dominance of subsistence-oriented communities, normally in nomadic practice. We need to do things differently; we need to do farming as a business."
He said the government was committed to structural reforms and policy changes aimed at transforming pastoral and subsistence farming chains into more sustainable, resilient, and commercially oriented systems.
The initiative, the minister added, seeks to create an enabling environment for the realization of provisions by 2040.
The government has invested in supporting communities by establishing feed reserves for emergency actions, construction of water reserves, strengthening animal disease control, among others," Rwamirama said.
"Government is investing in structural reforms and policy change of transforming pastoral and subsistence farming chain into more sustainable, resilient, and commercially oriented systems to create an enabling environment for realization provision 2040."
Kiboga District Woman MP Christine Nakimwero Kaaya stressed the importance of revitalizing the establishment of a rangeland policy in Uganda, including the pastoral corridors.
Kaaya advocated for broadening the tax base within cattle corridors and underscored the urgent need for a comprehensive evaluation of rangeland resources.
"We want to rejuvenate the establishment the rangeland policy of Uganda and also the pastoral corridors." she said.
"We don't have a rangeland policy, what we are coming up is to address issues and challenges within the rangelands, including water ,climate change management, the need to increase our tax base within the rangelands."
