Nakaseke special economic zone to lift agriculture

A number of multibillion agricultural investment projects, flagged off by President Museveni recently in Nakaseke district, represent the latest ray of hope for a sector perennially praised  as key to Uganda’s fortunes, but starved of meaningful investments.On February 18, Museveni commissioned works for the construction of a dairy and beef processing factory at Kaweweta, part of the cattle corridor. Turkish firm ASB Group will invest $300 million (Shs 750bn) in the project, which includes building a modern abattoir, dairy factory, grazing facilities and infrastructure such as roads and an airfield in the area.According to a State House statement, ASB will also establish agro-processing factories for such crops as cotton, coffee and fruits (pineapples, oranges and mangoes) from out-growers. Two days earlier, the president was in Kasangombe sub-county, still in Nakaseke, to open a maize factory and mushroom house, owned by Chinese investor Qui Lijan of Hanhe Uganda Farm Company.