The Ugandan government has decided to continue investing in agriculture to improve the population's livelihood as the world commemorates the World Food Day on Monday.

In a statement issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni was quoted as saying that the only way to ensure the country's increasing population have enough food and a better livelihood is by investing in agriculture.

"Investment in agriculture by both the private and public sectors in this country is important if we are to attain the food security status that we all desire," said Museveni.

Meanwhile, the president decried the effect the HIV/AIDS pandemic has had on the east African country's agricultural production.

Museveni stressed that as the country strives to promote more investment in agriculture, there is need to address the world trade imbalances which do not favor farmers in the developing world who want to produce for export.

"Poor farmers can not compete in the international market if their goods are shut out of the richer countries, while subsidized farm produce from industrialized countries is sold at or even below the production cost in poor countries. Sincere effective dialogue is required that should lead to a fairer trading system," he said.

The statement also quoted the minister Hilary Onek calling upon Ugandans to adopt better methods of farming following the increasing drought.

"There has been a scarcity of rain in the country which is a wake up call for all of us to invest more in technologies that can tame nature in order to produce enough food. Farmers have to invest in water harvesting techniques for domestic use as well as for crops and livestock," Onek said.

This year's World Food Day is marked under the theme of " Investing in Agriculture for Food Security," which reflects the importance of increasing investment in agriculture in order to attain the Millennium Development Goal of reducing hunger by half by the year 2015.

According to the Uganda National Household Survey of 2003, some 39 percent of the country's population, approximately 8.9 million people, are unable to meet their basic needs and living below the poverty line.

Source: Xinhua