By Our Staff Reporter

LIRA, Uganda – Tuesday was 4 August 2026.
District leaders from the Lango sub-region have pledged to champion President Yoweri Museveni’s Four-Acre Model after witnessing its success during a guided tour of a demonstration farm at the Lango Zonal Presidential Industrial Skilling Hub.

The visit, organized by State House, brought together district chairpersons, Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), District Internal Security Officers (DISOs), commercial officers, youth and women leaders, and other local government officials to learn practical approaches to modern farming and wealth creation.

The demonstration farm, established alongside the Presidential Industrial Skilling Hub, showcases how farmers can generate sustainable household income through integrated agriculture on relatively small pieces of land. The model combines enterprises such as coffee growing, banana plantations, dairy farming, fish farming, and other income-generating activities that complement one another.

The initiative is part of President Museveni’s directive requiring every Presidential Industrial Skilling Hub across the country to establish a demonstration farm that promotes commercial agriculture alongside vocational skills training. The approach is intended to equip communities with practical knowledge on wealth creation while providing unemployed youth with technical skills for self-employment.

Leading the tour, Dr. Morris Ochen, Head of the President’s Farms, explained that the demonstration farms were established to challenge long-held misconceptions about agriculture in different regions of the country.

He noted that the Lango farm was deliberately developed to prove that crops such as coffee and bananas, often believed to be unsuitable for the region, can thrive when farmers apply proper agronomic practices and modern farming techniques.

“The President wanted the people of Lango to witness firsthand that coffee and bananas can grow successfully in this region. The knowledge demonstrated here is available for everyone to adopt and improve household incomes,” Dr. Ochen said.

The visit changed the perception of several district leaders, including Oyam District LC V Chairperson Nelson Adea Akar, who admitted that he had previously doubted the viability of coffee and banana farming in Lango.

After touring the farm, Akar described the project as a practical example of how smallholder farmers can build wealth through organized agriculture.

“I have seen with my own eyes that coffee and bananas can grow here. I will return home and encourage our communities to embrace these enterprises because they have the potential to improve household incomes,” he said.

Kwania District Commercial Officer Catherine Akello also praised the initiative, saying the demonstration farm had become an important learning centre for both leaders and farmers.

She revealed that several farmers from the district had previously visited the facility and returned inspired to diversify their agricultural enterprises. Akello added that she had personally adopted some of the farming practices demonstrated at the centre and had become an example to other farmers in her community.

According to Akello, the project demonstrates that modern farming methods can unlock new economic opportunities even in areas where certain enterprises were previously considered impossible.

Meanwhile, Amolatar District LC V Chairperson Morris Ogwal Omara applauded the government for investing in demonstration farms but called for increased support in irrigation infrastructure to enable farmers to maintain production throughout the year.

He observed that although Amolatar District is surrounded by abundant water resources, limited irrigation systems continue to hinder agricultural productivity, especially during prolonged dry seasons.

Following the farm tour, the delegation visited the Lango Zonal Presidential Industrial Skilling Hub, where they inspected training workshops and interacted with young people acquiring vocational skills in various trades.

Speaking to the leaders, the Director of Presidential Projects and Industrial Hubs at State House, Eng. Raymond Kamugisha, urged local governments to actively support the Presidential Industrial Skilling Hubs, describing them as a critical intervention in reducing youth unemployment and household poverty.

He emphasized that combining vocational training with demonstration farming equips young people and surrounding communities with practical skills while promoting commercial agriculture as a sustainable pathway to wealth creation and socio-economic transformation.

The visit concluded with leaders committing to mobilize communities across the Lango sub-region to embrace the Four-Acre Model and modern agricultural practices, expressing confidence that the initiative can play a significant role in improving food security, increasing household incomes, and accelerating rural development.