By Our Reporter
President Yoweri Museveni has clashed with Speaker of Parliament Anitah Among over his 4-Acre model project, a key agricultural initiative.
The clash brewed up during Thursday’s regional parliamentary sitting in Gulu city where the Speaker criticized the model, arguing that it is not a one-size-fits-all solution and fails to account for the reality faced by many Ugandans.
Responding to the Speaker’s comments, Museveni, who seemed unhappy, asked Among to stop lying to Ugandans that the directive does not work. He directed Among to end her confusion since this directive has been in place and helped many Ugandans in different regions.
“I want to tell the Speaker who says that the 4-Acre model does not work here, it does. Do not bring a new confusion. I don’t agree with that lie.
Museveni said that the 4-Acre Model was a rescue operation for the parts of the country that had already fragmented land to apply seven enterprises; one acre for a coffee plantation on one acre, fruits (citrus and mangoes, pineapples, pasture) on the second acre, pastures for feeding the livestock on the 3rd acre, and 4th acre for the food stuff and in the backyard put poultry when near a wetland put fish farming.
“Use intensive agriculture to fight poverty using a small piece of land. But if you have a bigger piece of land, you can use four acres to plant coffee and other enterprises,”
According to the President, this approach directly assists the current Parish Development Model (PDM) by helping farmers transition from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture where communities will unlock economic prosperity and sustainable livelihoods.
