Museveni Tips Kazo on Modern Farming: ‘Free Range Wastes Land’

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has urged the people of Kazo District to fully embrace modern farming methods to unlock the economic potential of their land and accelerate household prosperity.

While addressing residents on Friday, Museveni commended the community for consistently applying the NRM message of wealth creation but reminded them that greater gains can be achieved by adopting more efficient land-use practices.

The President emphasised zero grazing as a key strategy for boosting returns from livestock, warning that free-range grazing wastes valuable acreage.

“Under free range, one square mile carries only about 200 cows. But with planted pasture and zero grazing, the same land can support more than 500 cows,” he said, encouraging farmers to shift to intensive systems that allow higher stock numbers and increased productivity.

Museveni further cautioned families against underutilising large acreages and the widespread practice of subdividing land after the death of parents, saying it diminishes economic value and undermines long-term wealth creation. He pointed to successful farmers like Nyakaana of Fort Portal and Joseph Ijala of Serere, who earn substantial incomes from holdings of less than 10 acres because of proper enterprise selection and intensive farming.

The President also credited the growth in Uganda’s milk and coffee production to farmers who embraced dairy and coffee planting through Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), noting that these gains show what is possible when households utilise land commercially.

Museveni encouraged Kazo residents to continue on the path of enterprise selection, improved production methods, and disciplined land use.

“With the seven ‘matafari’ (bricks) we have laid for Uganda over the last 40 years, what remains is for our people to use land optimally and choose enterprises that bring money,” he said.