President Yoweri Museveni has urged residents of Busoga to shift from subsistence farming to commercial production as part of efforts to address household poverty.
Museveni made the remarks while attending the thanksgiving ceremony of Hon. Milly Babalanda in Buyende, where he congratulated the former minister and leaders from the Busoga region for their work.
The President also commended the Seventh-day Adventist Church for what he described as its continued support to communities.
In his address, Museveni said wealth creation remains central to improving household incomes and urged families to make productive use of the resources available to them.
“I reminded the people of Busoga that the key to overcoming household poverty is wealth creation,” Museveni said.
He encouraged residents to select economic activities based on the size of their land and available resources, rather than relying solely on traditional subsistence farming.
Museveni identified dairy farming, poultry and fish farming among the enterprises that households could pursue to generate income.
He also called on beneficiaries of the Parish Development Model (PDM) to ensure that the funds are invested in productive activities capable of improving household earnings.
According to the President, access to land and government financing should be accompanied by a deliberate shift towards commercial production.
“We must move from subsistence to commercial production,” he said, while pointing to agriculture, services, information and communication technology and manufacturing as areas offering economic opportunities.
Museveni has repeatedly promoted commercial agriculture and household-level wealth creation as part of his government's broader strategy to reduce poverty and increase incomes.
The emphasis on enterprise development in Busoga comes as the government continues to encourage households to participate in income-generating activities instead of depending primarily on agriculture for subsistence.
The President said communities should assess the opportunities available to them and adopt enterprises capable of generating sustainable returns.
He further encouraged local leaders to support residents in making effective use of government programmes and available economic opportunities.
The Buyende event brought together local leaders and residents as Babalanda marked the thanksgiving ceremony, with Museveni using the occasion to reinforce his message on household economic transformation.