Empower young women in agribusiness to boost Uganda’s agricultural potential

8 August 2024, 5:29 pm

By Byamukama Alozious

The population has been urged to support young women and girls in agribusiness to unlock Uganda’s full agricultural potential. During the Savings and Loans Association Cottage Industry Symposium at Gudie Leisure in Najjera, Wakiso district, Mastercard Foundation’s Country Director, Adrian Bukenya, emphasised the importance of empowering these women with soft loans to enhance their businesses.

According to the new population census, women comprise over half of Uganda’s agricultural workforce. Additionally, 70% of the country’s population is made up of the youth, who should be supported to play a big vital role not only in agriculture but also other sectors. Bukenya encouraged young women to leverage government programmes like Emmyooga and Parish Development Model (PDM) by forming groups to access financial assistance from the government and private sectors.

Professor Gudula Basaza, founder of Gudie Leisure Farm, announced impressive results from their initiative: 60 parishes in Kiryandongo district have accumulated 130 million UGX, 37 parishes in Isingiro district have accumulated 369 million UGX, 32 parishes in Lwengo district have accumulated 207 million UGX, and 32 parishes in Nwoya district have accumulated 160 million UGX.

The symposium, attended by over 100 youths, aimed to promote agribusiness and provide access to loans for young entrepreneurs. This initiative is a crucial step towards empowering young women in agribusiness, driving economic growth, and unlocking Uganda’s agricultural potential.