The Presidential Initiative on Banana Industrial Development (PIBID) in Uganda has reached a decade of operating within the banana subsector, focusing on value addition and empowerment of banana farmers. The Director General of PIBID, Dr. Florence Muranga, highlighted the organization's journey towards transforming the sector through innovative approaches.
As the budgeting process progressed, Dr. Muranga expressed optimism regarding the increase in the production capabilities of dry bananas. The current output stands at 1.4 tons per day, with an ambitious target set to escalate this figure to between 10 and 14 tons daily, contingent upon the allocation of funds in the upcoming financial year. "We are looking at increasing our production to 14 tons this year with the help of the budget we proposed to 50 billion as the budget process is underway we believe the executive will help us," stated Dr. Muranga.
The initiative, which celebrates two decades of influencing the banana industry and bolstering the economy, faces challenges related to inadequate funding. The management has made appeals to the government for an increase in financial support, proposing a budget close to 50 billion for the next fiscal year to fulfill its objectives.
With the assistance of Ishara Industrial Technology Park, PIBID aims to enhance its production capacity significantly. This move is expected to unlock the full export potential of Uganda's banana industry and facilitate import substitution, thereby contributing to the country's economic development.
Source: NilePost