Northern Uganda can turn into a food basket says Minister Adoa

Northern Uganda has a potential of turning into the region’s food basket, Hon Hellen Adoa the state minister of Agriculture Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) has said. Hon Adoa who had served as MAAIF state minister for Fisheries for one and half years and she was reappointed by President Museveni in the same docket, made the remarks on June 22, 2021while resuming office.

 “This job isn’t just about fisheries,’ Hon Adoa said referring to her specific role in the ministry. “I kept on learning. I learnt about the theory of clusters, I visited Gulu, Amuru, Nwoya, Omoro and I saw the cluster development projects. I must say if given a chance northern Uganda can turn into the food basket of the region.” 

 Unlike the new ministers who will go through the initiation process, Hon Adoa said she had no such luxury when she was first appointed at the end of 2019. “I had to learn on the job,” Hon Adoa said. “I have been impressed by the technical team I found here. I hadn’t gone to school to learn about fisheries or Agriculture. Everything I know, I have learnt on the job.”

Hon Adoa who doubles as the Serere woman Member of Parliament (MP) thanked the MAAIF mechanization agenda saying for the first her native village had gotten a tractor.   “My village hadn’t seen a grader. That’s why I decided to stand in 2016 because how can you be a leader yet in your village you don’t have a school, a borehole, you don’t have a road. All you have are bushes. But now we have a good road. I think that’s a blessing.”    Hon Adoa was grateful that she had won the election despite the Covid-19 pandemic and said was glad to be back at the MAAIF. “I know sometimes we went overboard during the campaigns,” she admitted. “But thanks for the prayers and I’m happy to back because I consider this to be a family.”