Members of Parliament on the committee on Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries expressed concern over the agriculture sector budget cuts; saying that it would starve would be key lines for the poor people to increase their earnings and wealth creation.

The committee members questioned the government allocation of 1.4 trillion shillings to the agriculture sector where many of the key priority items are underfunded and others not allocated any money at all as indicated in the budget framework paper for the 2023/2024 financial year.

The parliamentary committee on Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries is chaired by Abim District Woman MP Janet Akech Okorimoe. State Minister for Animal Industry retired Lt. Col Bright Rwamirama led a team of senior officials to the committee to present the ministry’s budget estimates.  Minister Rwamirama noted with concern that many items and activities in the Agriculture ministry face budget cuts worth over 304 billion shillings for the 2023/2024 financial year.

Some of the items which face budget cuts include; procurement of fishing gear and nets worth 20 bn. Shs purchase of heavy equipment or mechanization 42bn shs, and the purchase of animal vaccine and Tick acaricides 18.4bn shs.

No funds were allocated to buy motorcycles for extension workers worth 1.7bn, rehabilitation of milk processing factories in Mbale and cold chain infrastructure and supporting production, marketing and extension by local government worth. 124bn shs

The shadow minister Agriculture Dr. Abed Bwanika said that for many years now, the government has been underfunding the fisheries sector, yet it is one of Uganda’s leading foreign exchange earners.

JULIUS MUKASA OPONDO, the MP Bujumba County which covers part of Lake Victoria asked the committee to reallocate 20bn shs money within the ministry budget to provide of equipment for fisheries enforcement and purchase of assorted fisheries inputs.

Maruzi County MP Maxwell Akora said that the Uganda’s fisheries resources are under developed yet there is a lot of potential and this has left the fishing community to be among the poorest in Uganda.