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Gov’t touts high-tech agriculture for youth on international youth day celebrations
Minister and Members of the Youth Council
The national celebrations of the international Youth day will be held virtually at State House this Thursday August 12 under the theme Youth Innovations for Transformation of food systems and sustainable Human health.
This was announced during the Launch of the Youth Week a few days ago by Jacob Eyaru, the Chairperson of the National Youth Council (NYC) at the Uganda Media Centre on Thursday this week.
Eyaru said that prior to the day, the NYC in collaboration with government and non governmental agencies have organised a series of activities majorly targeting the youth.
“These include meetings, e-conferences, e-trainings all aimed at transforming the lives of the youth,” he said.
This year’s theme, according to Eyaru will be; Youth Innovations for Transformation of food systems and sustainable Human health.
“Innovation and new technology combined with traditional knowledge that cannot enable youth be drivers of improvements to the Agriculture and food system,” he said.
Speaking at the launch, Sarah Mateke Nyirabashitsi, the State Minister of Gender in Charge of Youth and Children Affairs said that government is focused on uplifting the lives of the youth.
“The pandemic has affected the young people and we have learnt that as a country the young people need to innovate, look for local solutions to the problems that affect them,” she said.
Mateke noted that the government is also aiming at promoting E-agriculture and the use of ICT where applicable on the new technology which is designed and scales up for the access of the young people.
“Establishment of demonstration camps at parish level for the food production system and promoting the use of organic manure and organic pesticides to keep our soils safe and use of high quality seeds that mature early and drought and disease tolerant,” she said.
She noted that they (government), have lined up a number of activities to raise awareness and advocate for youth in line with the theme which impels us to position young people in such a manner that elicits them to think innovatively about what can be done to transform your broken food systems and ensure food safety and save the world from malnutrition,” she said.
“The 3rd National Development Plan, guides in uptake and having more skilled, better motivated and healthier workforce in a modernised agricultural sector with increased access and use of water for agricultural production, labour productivity in agro-industrial chain of agricultural mechanisation, manufacturing plants financing options for agriculture mechanisation, access and use of digital technologies and innovations in agro-industry.
Mateke noted that the government aims at digitalizing Agriculture so that more youth embrace it wholeheartedly, UGX164Bn for example she said was put aside in her ministry to cater for youth.
The launch was attended by other youth leaders including; Youth Members of Parliament, Officials from Open Space, Reach a Hand NGOs among others.
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