Minister of Defense and Veteran Affairs, Hon Vincent Ssempijja has urged UPDF officers to engage in more productive activities like commercial agriculture as a side income to improve their livelihoods and contribute towards development.
Minister Ssempijja made these remarks on Thursday, November 10, 2022, while visiting the Kata UPDF farm located in Bukiyabi village, Bumufuni Sub-County, in Bulambuli District.
Others in attendance include the Minister of State for Defense and Veteran Affairs, Jacob Oboth and the Chief of Production and Welfare in the UPDF, Maj. Gen. Sam Kiwanuka.
Ssempijja tipped the officers to engage in commercial agriculture so as to improve their livelihoods, and cautioned them against alcohol consumption which will affect their efficiency and advised them to focus on working for their families and nation-building.
“I encourage you to get involved in productive activities like commercial farming to enable you to improve your wellbeing and that of your families. Aim to focus on national building. Avoid too much alcohol because it will lower your proficiency and render you helpless or push you into a dilapidated state,” Ssempijja said.
According to Minister Oboth, the purpose of the visit was to make good on the government’s investment in both the UPDF and the veterans production program.
“The main reason for coming here is to follow up on the injected money in the production programme for both UPDF and veterans. We have visited the farm, and found that both UPDF and veterans have done good work,” he said.
However, because of the late planting, the soya beans did not yield well due to the drought.
Kata UPDF Farm sits on 1,930 acres of land, with UPDF having 1022 acres planted on soya beans and 178 acres for sorghum, while 730 acres belong to veterans.
President Museveni has always advocated for commercial agriculture as the only sustainable solution to endemic hunger and poverty in Africa.