According to CNOOC, our livelihood restoration effort in the Albertine region is yielding results.
Farmers whose livelihoods have been harmed by oil drilling are given access to alternate farming land and improved farming practices as part of the initiative.
CNOOC Uganda Limited, an oil and gas corporation, has praised its livelihood initiative for rehabilitating displaced people in the Albertine region.
The Chinese corporation hopes to restore agricultural livelihoods and re-establish or exceed pre-project levels of crop and livestock production and productivity as part of the initiative.
Farmers whose livelihoods have been harmed by oil drilling are given access to alternate farming land and improved farming practices as part of the initiative.
Peter Banura, LCV Chairman Kikuube district, praised CNOOC for the project that is altering the lives of the people in the community during the handover ceremony of 3,000 chicks to six farmers in Kikuube district.
“Practical skills are what we need to survive,” Banura said, adding that he was glad to see that the farmers had obtained practical information that will help them care for their cattle, poultry, and agricultural output even after the initiative finished.
People impacted by oil exploration activities are given information and practical skills to help them maximize high-quality outputs from their crops and livestock, according to the initiative.
Farmers will also receive agricultural training and extension services, as well as inputs and veterinary services, as part of the program.
This program will not only restore but also improve the livelihoods of the afflicted people because they will soon be able to earn a living from their livestock and poultry in the form of meat and eggs, as well as agricultural foods,” said CNOOC Uganda Limited spokesperson Aminah Bukenya.
The livelihood initiative, which will be conducted in Kabwoya, Kyangwali, and Buseruka sub counties, will benefit a total of 680 individuals, according to Bukenya.
She continued, In Kyangwali, the pilot sub county, 291 of these have received inputs and animals, with 5000 chicks sent to 10 groups, 18 goats distributed to 18 farmers, nine boran bulls distributed to nine farmers, and 45 pigs distributed to nine groups.
“The concept has been highly received in our district, and the farmers are embracing it. We’re confident that they’ll use what they’ve learned to teach other farmers who weren’t enrolled in the program,” she said.
Officials said the program will span three to five years, and CNOOC and district leadership will analyze its success to assure its long-term viability.
The program, according to CNOOC officials, is linked to existing government projects such as Operation Wealth Creation, Women Empowerment Programs, and Emyooga, among others.