State House Invests Shs1 Billion in Sebei Industrial Hub to Bolster Value Addition

State House has made a significant investment of Shs1 billion in the Sebei Zonal Presidential Industrial Skilling Hub, located in Kween District. This capital injection has funded the procurement and installation of a state-of-the-art maize milling plant, an animal feed processing unit, and modern grain silos, all imported from China.

These new facilities are poised to revolutionize how agricultural produce, particularly maize and soya, is handled in the Sebei sub-region. The milling plant boasts a capacity to process ten tonnes of grain daily, while the silos can store up to 500 metric tonnes. Beyond processing, the hub will provide training in crucial post-harvest handling techniques, storage, and quality management, aiming to minimize losses and elevate the competitiveness of Ugandan agricultural products on the global market.

The initiative represents an expansion of President Museveni’s Presidential Industrial Skilling Hub program, which initially focused on equipping youth with vocational skills. Building on this success, the government is now integrating value-addition facilities into 11 Presidential Industrial Skilling Hubs across the country.

Raymond Kamugisha, Director of Projects and Presidential Industrial Hubs at State House, highlighted that Sebei was chosen due to its substantial maize production and growing livestock sector. The animal feed processing unit, in particular, is expected to reduce Uganda’s reliance on imported animal feeds.

Plans are also underway to establish a Four-Acre Model demonstration farm at the hub. This farm will showcase modern commercial agriculture techniques for crops like coffee and bananas, as well as beef cattle, encouraging local farmers to adopt profitable farming practices. Furthermore, a Common User Production Facility is planned, offering graduates and community members access to shared machinery for commercial production, fostering local manufacturing and employment.

Leaders and local representatives have lauded the investment, emphasizing the potential of these industrial hubs to act as a catalyst for Uganda’s economic transformation. While acknowledging the progress, calls have been made for additional funding to support more graduates accessing available funds and for essential resources like transportation for the hub’s operations.

Source: https://statehouse.go.ug/state-house-injects-shs1-billion-into-sebei-presidential-industrial-skilling-hub-to-boost-value-addition