The Governor of the Busoga Consortium for Development (BCD), Bishop Frank Tibagendeka, on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, flagged off a ten-member delegation for an intensive two-week training program at China Agricultural University in Beijing.
The delegation, comprising the BCD secretariat, Busoga Kingdom officials, and key regional leaders, will gain advanced skills in modern agriculture to contribute to the implementation of the previously launched Village Agriculture Model (VAM) in Busoga.
Represented by the Jinja City Mayor, Mr. Peter Okocha Kasolo, the Governor, who also doubles as the Mayuge District Chairperson LC5, officially launched the journey of the delegation at the Civil Service College in Jinja City.
The delegation, according to BCD Director General Mr. Anthony Mula, is set to leave for China on November 4, 2024, for this important educational program.
Mr. Mula explained that the program is part of the fulfillment of the recently launched Village Agriculture Model, which aims to drive socio-economic transformation in the region, especially among local communities.
This program aligns with the government’s Parish Development Model (PDM) and enhances agricultural production, health, environment, and tourism.
“The dream is to make Busoga into a model region, where people will no longer need to travel long distances to other countries to benchmark improved development,” Mula said, emphasizing that “Busoga will be the central hub.”
Mula added, “Transformation should spread like wildfire. Imagine transformation starting in each village and spreading across the entire local government, so people will no longer need to travel long distances to benchmark but will have a nearby center in their village.”
The focus is on transforming communities, as Busoga is moving faster than any other sub-region in the country. The Director General noted that there is a need to enhance the implementation of VAM to achieve this vision within the next two years.
Mula commended the Government of China and Tencent Holdings Limited for supporting this project. “These two institutions have started working together, and Uganda, especially the Busoga region, has benefited. They launched annual scholarship programs that will benefit ten people each year, starting with this batch heading to China this weekend.”
He underscored the importance of using technology to market agricultural products, urging the government to pay attention to their proposal to develop the region. He stressed that middlemen should be eliminated from the agricultural market, adding that “When you add value, your product will be picked up by buyers.”
While flagging off the delegation, the BCD Governor asked the team to utilize the opportunity to collaborate with Tencent Holdings Ltd, one of the leading technology companies in China, to gain skills in marketing agricultural products, which is one of the major challenges facing farmers.
“I see youths with smartphones, but they mainly use WhatsApp, TikTok, YouTube, etc. Let’s use the knowledge we have to market the products we are producing, just as those we admire have done,” Bishop Tibagendeka stated.
He applauded the Vice President, Maj. Jessica Alupo, the custodian of the program, saying she has worked tirelessly. Mr. Patrick Kayemba, BCD’s Director of Mobilization and Mindset Change, is one of the beneficiaries. He stated his focus would be on understanding how the Chinese transformed from peasantry to middle-class income.
Owekitibwa Veronica Kagona, Busoga Kingdom’s State Minister for Youth and ICT, appreciated the idea of skilling change agents, saying she is set to embrace value addition.
Samuel Mweaigwa, a journalist attached to Baba Media Group, said, “As a media expert, my specialization will be widening the market for our products using technology as our main driver. It’s an opportunity for us to spread our wings and access the Ugandan market.”
