Seedling Distribution between the Years 2005- 2023 | |||||||||
Serial. | Trees planted | 2005-06 | 2007-09 | 2010-12 | 2013 – 15 | 2016-18 | 2019-20 | 2021-23 | Total |
1 | Avocado | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 175 |
2 | Papaya | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 140 |
3 | Orange | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 105 |
4 | Jackfruit | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 105 |
5 | Mango | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 175 |
6 | None fruit | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 140 |
7 | Vegetables | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 700 |
8 | Coffee | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 350 |
THE PARADOX
There has been a move by BIDCO to claim most of the Land within the Island, and many islanders are being displaced as what used to be a land for many communal squatters, has been bought out and a gazette, by a palm growing company producing cooking oil and other related products
It is like a one man show, one man’s property. Many of the islanders have lost their small unit plots of land to the rich giant BIDCO which has suffocated many of the squatter activities there in including fishing that was once a livelihood for many islanders.
Many of the Islanders used to survive by fishing, coupled with some subsistence farming, however, when they lost their fishing rights, due to many policies that were introduced by government to control the fishing industry, some of the islanders strengthened their hands to agriculture, little success has been achieved as most chunk of land that used to be owned by Islanders has been bought out by BIDCO now a gazette for industrial use.
The islanders seem jobless off the fishing grounds as an income earner, and not even in commercial agriculture or other means of productive work, many have now resorted to alcohol, and Gender Based Violence in some places has been at an increase, crime rates and unemployment levels are rising, school drop outs, sexual reproductive health challenges as all the above were seen with rising figures.
Mr. Kyambadde has admonished Islanders to brace themselves for the best and make use of every opportunity to be productive through many of the self-help projects, Micro credit schemes that he has launched among the islanders, which include,
Growing vegetables at home, Liquid Soap making, Animal husbandry, Piggery, Chicken Raring, Rabbit raring, Goat keeping, Cattle keeping, hair dressing, fashion and design.
In this regard Mr. Kyambadde has been seen following up many of such self-help small projects and glad to report that the presence of ERIRO is a mile stone