Uganda: President Calls for Drip Irrigation As a Solution to Drought

Demonstration. President Museveni sets a plastic bottle for drip irrigation at the Presidential Demonstration Farm in Kityerera Sub-county, Mayuge District.

President Museveni has said that about half of the 122 million coffee seedlings distributed to farmers by the UPDF under the Operation Wealth Creation programme have dried up due to drought.

Mr Museveni who was addressing a rally in Mayuge District on Tuesday, blamed farmers for not irrigating the seedlings. "Unfortunately, I am told that around 40 per cent of the coffee seedlings have dried up because the beneficiaries didnot water them. This is terrible carelessness."

Mr Museveni said drip irrigation is the solution to the persistent drought ravaging some parts of the country.

The President, who is on a commercial agriculture sensitisation campaign in Busoga sub-region also told people to stop land fragmentation and polygamy.

"You can improvise with drip irrigation. It has worked excellently for people with small land acreage. All you need to do is put water in small bottles which you will use for irrigation and you will forget about droughts which people think it is a problem." he told a rally in Mayuge District on Tuesday.

President Museveni also told local and political leaders in the sub-region at the new Kityerela State Lodge in Mayuge District to sensitise the people against land fragmentation, which he said threatens food security among agriculture dependent communities.

"Land fragmentation is a big problem. If not well addressed, it is the source of poverty. Here at Kityerera village, I am committed to ensure that all the 4,000 homesteads are liberated from poverty", the President said.

The President added that with increased agricultural production and raised homestead income, government will have less financial pressure and will be able to concentrate on infrastructural development projects such as roads and electricity. He said after restoring security in the country, he now wants to concentrate on helping people increase their household income through promotion of modern agriculture.