The Oilseed project fund will cover 6 regional hubs with districts that grow four major oilseed crops including groundnut, sunflower, Soya bean and Simsim, and will focus on improving the yield, ensuring good quality seeds and improving community access roads in areas under oilseed cultivation.

While meeting Kikuube district leaders, Eng. George Musinguzi, the infrastructure project engineer in the ministry of local government stressed the need for diversification in the agriculture sector and access roads to achieve self-sufficiency in edible oils.

The project will benefit 81 districts with only 10 districts selected from Buganda and Bunyoro sub regions under Mid-Western regional hub.

The districts selected from Bunyoro. Kikuube, Hoima, Masindi and Kiryandongo.

Under the element of improving areas, each district will have 30 kilometer roads worked through the Ministry of Local Government.

Vincent Opio, the vice chairperson Kikuube district local government has noted that the move is significant given that most of the access roads are in sorry state.

Evas Mungriek, the Kikuube district secretary for works, has expressed fear with time of implementation and the selection criteria.

The project that will be funded by a loan that was acquired from Oil producing and Export companies is expected to have elements like subsidy to farmers for buying good quality seeds, intervention by the government in the market to support prices when needed, and involvement of the private sector in making available quality seeds.