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Message: [QUOTE="Nehanda, post: 24221, member: 2262"] Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni called for African self-reliance in food production during a meeting with Gabonese military officers at the Senior Command and Staff College in Jinja. "You shouldn't import any food. You can grow and process it here because we have many raw materials," Museveni said on Monday. He stressed the importance of adding value to agricultural products, citing cotton as an example. "A kilo of raw cotton sells for $1, but processed into shirts; it yields $20. Exporting raw cotton means giving away jobs and money to Asian countries," he explained. The visiting officers - Major Jason Dimitri Raivire, Captain Stephen Obouba, Captain Stephane Meboung, and Captain Mathieu Collard - toured several agricultural facilities in Uganda. These visits showcased methods for improving food security through enhanced production and sustainable farming practices. Museveni highlighted Uganda's food independence, noting that imports consist mainly of non-traditional items. "I don't eat rice because I'm not Asian. I don't eat bread because I'm not European. I eat local foods like cassava and millet," he said. The president emphasized the need for strong government policies to leverage Africa's favorable climate and fertile soil. He believes these assets remain underutilized in agricultural development. On defense matters, Museveni urged African nations to build their security capabilities rather than depend on Western support. "Why don't you defend yourself? When a child grows, you encourage independent walking. You don't offer to carry them forever," he said. "Here in Uganda, we handle our defense. Foreign forces may train us, but they don't defend us. Requiring others for defense shows a lack of confidence in ourselves," Museveni added. Officials from Operation Wealth Creation and the National Agricultural Research Organisation attended the meeting, reinforcing Uganda's commitment to agricultural development and self-sufficiency. [/QUOTE]

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