The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development has set up a 100 hectares model farm it expects will bring Ugandan youth unemployment to its lowest level by 2020.
The initiative at Kampiringisa, Mpigi district was unveiled by the Gender and Labour Permanent Secretary Pius Bigirimana.
Bigirimana said that investing in modern farming is critical as this is the sector that is able to employ the millions of unemployed youth in the country.
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Julius Vuni is one of the early beneficiaries of this model farm. A primary seven dropout, Vuni was unable to raise school fees to proceed to secondary school until he started working on the model farm.
Rebecca Nagawa was struggling to feed her family until she opened up a Paw Paw farm. She is now able to meet the basic needs of her family.
Vuni and Nagawa are among the 100 youth who have been taken on the model farm. At the farm, they are trained in modern farming techniques under the Youth Livelihood Programme.
Bigirimana said the hope is that all produce from the farm will be for local consumption and not export. In addition to crop farming, the youth will learn how to raise fish for sale.
The project is due for expansion to the rest of the country when the trial period comes to a successful conclusion.