Recently, while on a tour of wealth creation aimed at assessing the implementation of the Parish Development Model program in Teso and Karamoja sub regions, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni frequently used a model farm of the Minister of State for Works (Transport) as an example.
The President then offered to sponsor the journalists to tour Minister Byamukama’s farm in Kakumiro district and use it as part of their mindset change activities.
On Thursday, December 19th, 2024 over 70 journalists toured this farm, and all they could witness was how the youthful Byamukama is able to comfortably harness over Shs72 million monthly from farming.
Byamukama told the media workers that he started the farm in 2021 after joining Parliament. He says that after meeting with the president, he was triggered to lead by example.
“When I heard the President’s message on creating wealth using the four-acre model farming strategy, I decided to implement it practically before I could engage my people,” Minister Byamukama told the journalists.
According to him: “As a leader, it is only wise to practically be exemplary in everything before mobilizing your people to embrace.”
Byamukama says at Kamanyire Four Acre Model demonstration farm, he has ventured into coffee, banana, pineapple, poultry, dairy, and piggery enterprises, with each of the sectors turning lucrative.
He has over 200 pigs at the farm, more than 25,000 layers, which give him over 300 trays of eggs daily, and eight dairy cows that give him about 120 liters of milk daily .
Byamukama, who is also the MP for Bukankazi West County in Kakumiro, noted that as a leader he has been giving voters pigs to support their ventures.
Currently, Byamukama’s farm has been turned into a center of excellence where various people are taken on a study tour to shape their mindset.
In a month, Minister Byamukama makes a minimum of Shs72 million, way beyond his parliamentary monthly earnings.
The farm employees 39 workers, majority are women, each earning Shs300,000 monthly.
The journalists also visited the 1.3 Kana model farm owned by Richard Nyakaana, a former local councilor in Rwengaju village, Fort Portal City.
Nyakaana conceived the idea to venture into farming around 2010 when President Museveni addressed a rally on wealth creation at his school then, Mpanga SS.
Currently, Nyakaana operates poultry, dairy, feed processing, and waste management projects at his home village, earning him more than Shs 14m monthly net income.
The journalists are expected to extend the four- acre model campaign in their respective areas to help boost household income in the Teso and Karamoja sub regions. Although the said regions have huge chunks of land, the poverty levels remain highest across the country.
