The State House Agricultural Unit has launched a four-acre model farm for Acholi subregion at the Acholi zonal presidential youth skilling center in Oding, Unyama subcounty, Gulu district.
Ms. Rose Kabagenyi, a senior presidential advisor on agriculture in charge of the four-acre model project, says that the state house agricultural unit has decided to incorporate agriculture among the existing course units currently being offered to youth at all the presidential youth skilling centers in all the regions.
While launching the model farm on Wednesday, Kabagenyi disclosed that the idea is to equip youth with agricultural skills that will be transferred into the various communities where they come from.
‘’The four-acre model farm is a presidential initiative under pilot with the objective of ending food insecurity, promoting life, mindset change, and the utilization of land for massive production,’’ she said.
Under the four-acre model of farming, farmers are required to use a four-acre piece of land to practice agro-forestry, livestock keeping, fishing, and crop production.
The initiative targets mindset change in the community to utilize their land for production, thereby reducing poverty and increasing life chances.
During the pilot project, the government plans to establish a pilot 4-acre model farm demonstration at all the youth skilling centers countrywide for training the youth and community members on best agricultural practices.
The establishment of a model farm at the hub will cost the government approximately 60 million shillings, depending on the need presented by each skilling center.
The Gulu LCV Chairperson, Mr. Opiyo Christopher Ateker, who represented all the LCV chairpersons of Acholi, applauded the president for imitating the project and linking it to the youth skilling center.
Mr. Oyet Samuel Agwani, the assistant manager of the Oding youth skilling center, revealed that the youth who are undergoing the five-month skill training will embrace the initiative as soon as it is established.
Agwani decried the persistent dry spell being experienced in the region, something he said the government should consider providing the small irrigation machines if they want all the concepts of the 4-acre model to be achieved.
Currently, Oding youth skilling center has a total of 249 youth who are currently undergoing training on brick laying and concrete practice, hair dressing, tailoring and garment cutting, welding and metal fabrication, carpentry and joinery, and bakery.
Under the four-acre model, the government is looking at value addition, where maize processing factories and oil processing factories will be established at Unyam to add value to all the goods produced in the entire Acholi subregion.
