Director-General meets Uganda Minister for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries

3 December 2019, Rome - FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu met today with Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja, Minister for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries of Uganda, at the Organization’s headquarters in Rome, on the sidelines of the 163rd Session of the FAO Council.

The Director-General praised the President of the Republic of Uganda and the Government for hosting the 10th Anniversary of the FAO-China South-South Cooperation Programme and Triangular Cooperation in Kampala, 25-27 November 2019. The event, attended by officials and experts, took stock of innovations and lessons learned from the first 10 years of the FAO-China South-South Cooperation Programme. It was also a forward looking opportunity to develop a new vision for the future. The digitalization of agriculture, the use of digital platforms and the access to financial services are essential to help the rural poor increase their incomes and move out of poverty, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

In their talks, Minister Bamulangaki Ssempijja reaffirmed his country’s strong support to the Director-General’s action and welcomed the Organization’s new Hand-in-Hand initiative as a key collaboration opportunity.

The Director General highlighted the importance of agriculture for economic transformation in Uganda.