The President of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has told farmers to abandon their traditional ways of farming saying they have no place in the modern age.

While flagging off the construction of Andibo Valley Dam in Pakwach, Nebbi district Museveni cautioned people from the West Nile Sub-Region against sticking to old farming methods which are not economically productive and the bad practice of land fragmentation.

“The problem is that some people get stuck to traditional farming. In modern times, traditional agriculture is a recipe for poverty.”

Museveni advised that other than partitioning the land which they inherit from their fore fathers, the people should instead use the land collectively and share the proceeds of what they will have gained from using the land collectively.

Museveni urged the people whose land is heavily fragmented, to adopt intensive modern farming that can generate good income for their homes.

The President illustrated the beauty in modern farming by using the example of a family which chooses to plant oranges on one acre of land and can fetch Shs.6million in a year for its household income as opposed to the one that opts to plant tobacco by which a farmer can only earn a gross income of Shs.1.2 million.

“Add to that the production costs and the farmer is left with only Shs.400,000/= annually.” Museveni explained

The President also advised the  people with small land holdings to use their land creatively.

“For example if a farmer has three acres, they can grow fruits on one acre, food crops on another and pasture on the third acre for zero gazing. They could even use the backyard to keep poultry for eggs and for non-Muslims pigs and those near lakes or swamps, they can open up fish ponds.” Museveni Advised

He told the audience that with such a package of activities, a homestead can realize about Shs.50 million Uganda Shillings per year from farming.

The Shs.11.7 billion Dam that Museveni was commissioning will, on completion, be used for irrigating over 400 hectares of land in the area and will also benefit farmers in the 7 sub-counties in Nebbi district.