Busoga Consortium for Development (BCD)’s dream and determination of spearheading development in Busoga sub-region is becoming a reality. The non-partisan and unifying platform, established by children of the soil, aims of ensuring the wellbeing of the local populace and steering the socio-economic development of the region.
BCD found a significant marriage with the Republic of China, signing memorandums of understanding for common cooperation. An intent letter was signed between BCD and Liaoning Province in 2021, to promote agriculture, industrialization, tourism, environmental conservation, education and mineral resource development, among others.
In a recent noteworthy milestone, BCD on December 12, 2023, signed trade cooperation with Liaoning products trading center limited, a Chinese company dealing in agricultural products. The three-year trade partnership focuses on four crop enterprises including soya bean, sim-sim, maize and cassava. People from Busoga and across the country shall have an opportunity to export agricultural products to be processed from the yet to be set up agricultural-industrial park within Busoga to China.
The initiative according to, Anthony Mula, the Director General of BCD, shall not only benefit Busoga citizens but all Ugandans dealing in agriculture. Collection centers shall be established in different parts of Busoga to house products from farmers to minimize distances of accessing the essential market.
“This market established by Busoga is not only limited to Basoga but to all Ugandans especially farmers,” explains Mula. To enhance the effectiveness of the project, BCD in collaboration with China Agricultural University (CAU) is behind the piloting of Village Development Model (VDP) in Busoga, a strategy of economic transformation for the successful implementation of Government’s Parish Development Model (PDM). VDM is said to be China’s significant path to becoming an economically transformed country.
Agricultural model villages will be established in Busoga, integrating innovative approaches to agriculture and features crops like maize, soya and cassava to diversify production. Famers shall be empowered with seeds, fertilizers and capacity building to produce quality products that will be consumed by the Chinese agricultural company.
The Uganda’s third deputy prime minister, Rukia Isanga Nakadama, who also chairs the BCD Ministerial Committee, during the signing ceremony at Civil Service College in Jinja city acknowledged China’s presence and contribution to Uganda’s socioeconomic development and described it as a myth and profound to the country.
The Mayuge district woman legislator believes that the paramount achievement shall potentially address market challenges experienced by Ugandans while transacting business. She calls for effective embracement of trade cooperation, urging citizens to grow the recognized crops to foster development of Busoga and Uganda’s economy.
Nakadama stresses that the memorandum of understanding signed is in line with the Government’s parish development model (PDM) which is a crucial element of transforming lives of individualsin Uganda communities.
She, therefore, urges Uganda government to champion the China’s village development model that significantly contributed to the economic growth of China.
“We have set off a journey of trade between Busoga and China. We shall concentrate on agriculture where the biggest challenge is market for products. We therefore need to welcome this with two hands,” states Fredrick Bwino Kyakulaga Minister of state for Agriculture, Animal, Industry and Fisheries.
Minister Bwino appeals to Chinese government to export Ugandan coffee which he says is highly consumed by the Chinese population.
According to H.E Wang Jian the vice Governor of Liaoning Province, China is committed to promoting Uganda’s agricultural produce following the strongest bilateral relationship between the two states.
He noted that the cooperation is a foundation for development of the two economies through agriculture and industrialization.
Nakadama, however, commends China for her vibrant companies undertaking notable construction works of roads, dams, stadiums and airports among others in several parts of the country. The Chinese Huawei company initiated the truck-digi project that equipped various youths across Busoga with computer skills.
China’s marriage with Busoga remains productive following a cohort of Busoga districts leaders that recently visited different Provinces for important benchmarking. The three-week visit empowered the leaders through capacity building on poverty alleviation, women participation in economic and social construction.
Nakadama asserted that more leaders and local individuals shall next year visit the developed country to adopt vital developmental determinant.
