Ugandan MP supports constituents to abandon subsistence, try commercial farming

A Ugandan Member of Parliament says the subsistence farming practiced by a big percentage of residents in his area is to blame for the high poverty levels in many households, reports The Monitor newspaper. Rather than just talking about the problem, MP for Kiboga East Lastus Serunjogi's has taken matters into his own hands by providing inputs for his constituents to go into commercial farming.

"Many residents in the area grow crops for subsistence which has led to increased poverty levels in the area. There is need for them to pursue market-oriented production," he says. To help promote this, he has introduced the growing of epuripuri sorghum, which is used in the production of a local lager beer. "I have given out 3 metric tonnes of sorghum seeds to over 50 farmers and have identified a ready market with the agents of Nile Breweries. The project has already started yielding fruit. One farmer managed to get Shs3million from selling the sorghum and bought a pick-up truck," Dr. Serunjogi says. He says he has also bought a tractor which he hires out to farmers at a low cost.

Serunjogi has a Ph.D. from Ohio State University in plant breeding. Before joining politics he worked as a research scientist at Serere Research Institute for 33 years.