Tuesday 29 June, 2010
SUPPORTING THE PROMOTERS OF THE GREEN REVOLUTION
kilimokwanza@guardian.co.tz
Planting maize banned Residents must harvest rainwater Unused fertilizer confiscated
Tuesday 29 June, 2010
EDITORIAL/PERSPECTIVE
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Mkulo pleases and annoys ACT at the same time
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The Agricultural Council of Tanzania has simultaneously praised and criticized The Minister for Finance, Hon Mustafa Mkulo, over his recently presented budget. In a press release,ACT said that the minister has come out with a pro agriculture government budget in many areas
Dying of hunger to be buried in fertile soil!
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he Bahi District Commissioner, Ms Betty Mkwasa is an interesting personality. When she was posted in this famine-prone part of Dodoma, she moved to take some radical steps – some would say too radical – to transform the district of Bahi. Tightly embracing the new creed of Kilimo Kwanza, Mkwasa wants to banish hunger and poverty in the area under her jurisdiction, and she wants to do it rather quickly. -If she were a politician seeking elective office, her motives would be suspect. As a civil servant, she could be accused of being over-zealous. But it is sometimes better for an appointing authority to have to reign in an enthusiastic officer, than be stuck with a passive one who always needs to be kick-started. For a start, Mkwasa has banned the growing of maize, probably the most popular staple food of the country, in her district. She is ‘encouraging’ the people to plant more valuable crops instead. The ban will remain in force until residents “show a convincing change of attitude” from overdependence on that one crop. Foot patrols are out to catch anybody planting maize and stop them. She is also pushing the people to use fertilisers, and confiscation of any subsidized fertilisers found in the house instead of the farm is now going on. The DC has gone ahead to promote irrigation, and has requisitioned many irrigation experts from the ministry to head for Dodoma and introduce drip irrigation. This is the most suitable form of irrigation because though very expensive, for the very dry areas of Dodoma, it ensures maximum use of the little water available. The soil there is quite fertile but surface water is quite limited. Mkwasa has directed that every house have gutters for collecting rainwater from the roof, which when so harvested can be used to drip-irrigate crops. Some peasants may ask why use the water to irrigate when there is none to drink? They need to
be told that before the forced harvesting, they did not have the water anyway, so the one who has brought the water has a say in how it used. She is also determined to put an end to pastoral grazing that has contributed a lot to the near desertification of the area by encouraging the pastoralists to engage in the more settled forms of ranching. Some of the steps that Betty Mkwasa is taking may be considered draconian by a people used to being handled softly. But the situation is such that the DC has little option but to be tough, if she is to make a change. Dodoma is a fertile region, much of it sitting on a basin of underground water, but where people starve, sometimes to death because of rainfall failure. Farmers, of all people, to be dying of hunger is a paradox. Cynics would say, “only in Africa” can such an unacceptable scenario continue perpetually. It would appear that the only certain benefit a Dodoma farmer will is assured of getting from his fertile soil is to be buried in it when he dies. Can such a fate be allowed in the twenty-first century? These may not be colonial times but people should not be allowed to continue with a hopeless existence if it can be helped. And they have no right to impose the hopelessness on their children. So the DC is right to push for rainwater harvesting, fertiliser use and crop diversification. The government should back her up with some social workers to make the acceptance of her plans more smooth in order to mitigate the effects of the iron hand that she appears to be applying in pushing for agricultural transformation.
Wallace Mauggo Editor
he Minister for Water and Irrigation Mark Mwandosya said that almost 75 per cent of his ministry's budget will be used for irrigation. He said while
Fitted with Double-Furrow Plough Mould board type
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Slow growth afflicted Tz agriculture last year
he Minister for Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives Steven Wasira said that the agricultural sector grew slightly by 3.2 per cent last year due to draught and the world economic meltdown. He said this in the National Assembly while when responding to issues raised by MPs when debating the 2010/2011 budget speech. He said last year was the worst in the country’s economy, particularly the agricultural sector. Wasira said most regions, especially those in the northern part of the country, were adversely hit by draught, resulting in
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For the 10 years he had worked as a primary school teacher, Mr Michael Kibuuka failed to make any meaningful savings from his monthly salary to enable him build a house for himself, take his children to good schools and also lead a comfortable life.
To have your organisation promoted in Kilimo Kwanza, Call: 0787 571308, 0655 571308 0754 571308
Fitted with paddy reaper
hunger. He said the government had to provide 100,000 tonnes of relief food to residents in the affected regions. He said the world economic crisis also affected the price of cash crops, whereby farmers had to sell their crops at very low prices. He underscored the importance of the government to establish a loan system for farmers to enable them invest in large plantations. He said in this year’s budget his ministry will spend most of the funds to provide agricultural inputs to farmers through the voucher system.
Fitted with irrigation pump And rain gun comes with hose pipe delivery and Suction pipe
Mkulo pleases and annoys ACT at the same time T
8 Artwork & Design: KN Mayunga: changetz@yahoo.com
Anti-Skid Iron Wheel supplied with Every power tiller for ploughing
Mwandosya said every irrigation scheme at district level will be given 800m/, adding that through irrigation, harvests were likely to double.
Fitted with Disk Plough
Today Mtibwa is recognised as one of the major sugar projects in the country striving to catch up with the international sugar standards and even competing with the top sugar producing countries in Africa
Primary teacher earns millions by rearing chicken
parliament was debating the 2010/11 budget that his ministry has devised a sevenyear strategic plan to improve irrigation farming in the country.
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T R A C TO R S L I M I T E D
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People have accepted the spirit of Kilimo Kwanza quite well in Bahi district. Many of the people in the area are livestock keepers. But they have been and many are still are stuck to the old ways of doing things, that is grazing the animals, roaming around looking for grass.
Mtibwa set to make Tanzania sweeter
AT A GLANCE
Mwandosya pumps Sh800m per district for irrigation
inside
Revolutionary DC bans maize growing – for a while
The Guardian KILIMO KWANZA
Tuesday 29 June, 2010
he Agricultural Council of Tanzania (ACT) has simultaneously praised and criticized The Minister for Finance and Economy, Hon Mustafa Mkulo, over his recently presented budget. In a press release, ACT said that the has come out with a pro agriculture government budget in many areas. “Budget allocation to agriculture has increased by 35.5%,” ACT said. “This increase has gone hand in hand with the removal of VAT on machines and equipments used in the production of crop and livestock produce, and airfreight charges of horticultural crops, as well as granting VAT relief on green houses and supply of goods and services to organized farms and unions, such as irrigation and construction of crop storage facilities. It is our hope that the budget increment and VAT exemption will have a direct positive impact on those who toil on the land.” ACT however noted that: “The Finance Minister failed us by not living to the prom-
ise he made in the 2009/10 budget to lower agricultural produce cess which currently stands at 5 percent. We quote: “Mr. Speaker, it is proposed to reduce the cap for charging produce cess from 5 percent of farm gate price to 3 percent in order to reduce the impact of global economic crisis to the farmers. However, it is proposed to start implementation of this measure in 2010/11 fiscal year to provide time for local governments to look for alternative sources of revenue”. Un quote.” According to ACT, it is a disappointment to the farmers that the Minister has decided to circumvent his commitment by allowing the local government authorities to impose produce cess ranging from 3 to 5 percent at they see it fit. “This u-turn by the Minister will frustrate our farmers and put the zeal evoked by Kilimo Kwanza in jeopardy,” said the ACT statement and concluded by appealing to Hon. Mkulo to consider fixing the produce cess to 3 percent.”
fitted with trailer 1 tonne
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The Guardian KILIMO KWANZA
T R A C TO R S L I M I T E D *A G R I TA N + P.O. Box 212, Mazimbu Road (Former Heavy Plant Yard), Morogoro, Tanzania. Tel: Mr mwapili: +255-784-421606, Mr Nsekela: +255-786-150213, Fax: +255-27-6246882 Email: jlane@pptl.biz, Mwapili@pptl.biz, mohamed_nsekela@yahoo.com Website: www.pptl.biz/tractorsltd
The Guardian KILIMO KWANZA
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Tuesday 29 June, 2010
COVER STORY
The Guardian KILIMO KWANZA
Tuesday 29 June, 2010
COVER STORY
Revolutionary DC bans maize growing – for a while Some leaders may regard Kilimo Kwanza as just another national programme. But others have embraced it with all their life. To this second category belongs Bahi District Commissioner Betty Mkwasa, who is taking some radical measures to ensure that rapid agricultural transformation takes place in her part of Dodoma region which has been devastated by reckless overgrazing. She describes some of the initiatives to The Guardian’s ANGEL NAVURI in this interview.
Betty Mkwasa stresses a point during a recent visit to Dar es Salaam. PHOTO: SABATO KASIKA
Q: How is Kilimo Kwanza faring in Bahi district? A: People have accepted the spirit of Kilimo Kwanza quite well in Bahi district. Many of the people in the area are livestock keepers. But they have been and many still are stuck to the old of doing things, that is grazing the animals, roaming around looking for grass. Their livestock grazing has led to degradation and severe drought. So we are now moving to control and then change this. Dodoma region is an impoverished area. Today, 85 percent of the people who live in Dodoma and its districts are farmers. However, most of these farmers typically only grow crops on small holdings, from two to five acres. This is because they just have hand tools available for cultivating their land. It
problem especially when it comes to rice. When they harvest rice, many business people and big companies come and camp in Bahi waiting for the farmers to avail whatever they collect from their gardens. So market is not a problem at the moment. And if production increases buyers may
An expert prepares the ground for drip irrigation
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ome leaders may regard Kilimo Kwanza as just another national programme. But others have embraced it with all their life. To this second category belongs Bahi District Commissioner Betty Mkwasa, who is taking some radical measures to ensure that rapid agricultural transformation takes place in her part of Dodoma region which has been devastated by reckless overgrazing. She describes some of the initiatives to The Guardian’s Angel Navuri in this interview.
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Rainwater harvesting at a simple village home (left) and vegetables growing under drip irrigation (below) has been observed many times that these farmers are very hard working people, however, because of the circumstances they find themselves in, they do not have the opportunity to do anything other than practice traditional subsistence agriculture. In addition, for many years there have been severe food shortages within the Dodoma region. Those people who suffer the most during these times of food shortages are the very marginalized women and children in the rural areas. While some of the people there are very hungry during these times of shortage, there are all too often situations where people starve when conditions become severe. All the while all these starving people, are dying on abundant, unused fertile soil yet good, tropical farming methods would save the situation. We are seeking funding to secure some
tractors so farmers can open up more land. We need them to share other peoples agricultural experiences and knowledge which are available and to get serious and start using some equipment that is already available. First objective is to produce enough food. Tractors are urgently required to initially open up more land and solve the farmers’ immediate hunger problems, so they can think of producing for the market. Q: What practical steps have you already taken to enhance the success of Kilimo Kwanza in Bahi District? A: First of all l have started efforts to make sure that the drip irrigation is practiced by all farmers since Bahi and Dodoma as a whole is a dry area. The we are setting aside sites where the livestock could graze, be fed, instead of roaming all over the place.
Another immediate step I have taken is educating people to get away the mentality that only maize could grow in the area and not any other crop. So right now we have abolished growing of maize in Bahi. People have been given no option but to start cultivating other crops and we are encouraging rice, wheat, cassava and sunflower. The ban will remain in force until there is sufficient change of attitude among the people in favour of diversification. My teams moving around to ensure no maize is planted in the district. At the same we have issued power tillers around so that farmers can open up more land. But these are expensive and like tractors, we want to arrange funding so more of these are available and accessible to the farmers on certain terms.
Q: Are the farmers making use of the subsidised fertilizer? A: Yes they are but since the people here are livestock keepers, they use the animal manure and they keep the subsidized fertiliser in their homes. So I have given an order that all farming should be done by applying fertilizers and all fertilizer should be in the soil, not in houses. We are moving around to ensure that. Whoever does not comply shall be dealt with firmly. What we are doing is to move towards modern farming by taking the farmers away from the traditional farming they have been used to practicing.
Q: What about access of market to the farmers? A: Market to the farmers is not the
offer lower prices, that is where value addition comes in. But first let the production increase first to stop the hunger and then commercialise the farming. Q: Did you get any funds for Kilimo Kwanza? A: At first we were given shs1.3bn for
the 14 projects that we wanted to have but since the money is not enough we decided to have four big projects so that the money can have impact. So we have the projects in Bahi, Mtataa, Mgongogo and Zejele. In the next phase we were given shs787 million. All the money we used to buy hoes and oth-
er agriculture inputs that the farmers need. And since the hoes were not enough if given for free, we distributed to those who were wiling to pay half price. These are now hiring out to others who did not buy. Q: What other plans do you have
for Kilimo Kwanza? A: We will be starting a project of water harvesting since water is a problem to our region as a whole so that the project will help the farmers do well with drip irrigation. But another thing is to help the farmers keep their livestock in sites where they can graze without any interference as that is part of Kilimo Kwanza in terms of milk, meat, and fertilizer. And also we shall keep educating the farmers on modern farming. Currently, the water that we are using for irrigation comes from River Bubu whose source is in Babati. But we are also taking rain water very seriously. We have talked to all the farmers and they are putting gutters on their roof edges for harvesting rain water. Now, when the water has been so collected, it has to be used very economically, hence our opting for drip irrigation. The experts who are helping us introduce drip irrigation are from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security whom will call them extension officers. And like last month, the we received a list of 16 officers who have been assigned to Bahi to help spread the use of drip irrigation. I am happy to report that already, eight of them have reported to work. Q: Any preparation for the eighth of August? A: We are prepared for the Nanenane celebrations and we expect to show what we are doing in Kilimo Kwanza despite the fact that ours is a dry area. We are practicing drip irrigation. We are ready to show our products to the others so as to create more market for the farmers. Our farmers are now choosing different faster maturing sorghum varieties, because the rainy season is now so short that their traditional varieties cannot mature in time. Sesame and sunflower have been introduced following market demand and government advice because they are more drought-tolerant. Cassava production has increased, because it is a drought-tolerant food crop. Farmers are changing the balance of crops grown due to climate, but also due to government advice and market signals.
The Guardian KILIMO KWANZA
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Tuesday 29 June, 2010
BUDGET REVIEW
The Guardian KILIMO KWANZA
Tuesday 29 June, 2010
BUDGET REVIEW
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Mtibwa set to make Tanzania sweeter
Urges the government help them to have 5000 hectors more Since its privatization a decade ago, Mtibwa Sugar Estates Limited that has multiplied sugar production by 55 times and created job for more than 6000 people in the country. The Guardian’s ANGEL NAVURI visited their estate last week to find out how they have achieved this feat and learn about the challenges now facing the company. She spoke to the General Manager Gregory Swart who outlined the past, present and future of their operations.
Q: Please give us a brief history of Mtibwa Sugar Estates Limited. Answer: It has all been in line with the policy of the government of the Unite Republic of Tanzania Economic Reforms Programme that includes the move to privatize state owned enterprises. Mtibwa Estates Limited was the second sugar company in the country that was made available to private investors in 1998. At that time, Mtibwa sugar estate was taken over by Super Group of Companies in August 1998. Since at the time the factory, sugar cane fields, machinery and equipment were in deteriorating conditions, rehabilitation, which included repairs, reconstruction, management restructuring and expansion of sugar cane fields cultivation and expansion were the major the project focus after taking over the company. Earlier, with Super Group of Companies whose headquarters are in Dar es Salaam, the government started managing the company through the Agricultural Consultancy Services Limited of Multiconsult Limited, les Jamalacs Bulding, Port Louis, Mauritius who have many years of experience in the sugar industry, then gradually the management was shifted to local nationals. The new management first focused on the rehabilitation and expansion of the company and transfer of technology and management skills to the local workforce without forgetting improved care of the environment. Today Mtibwa is recognised as one of the major sugar projects in the country striving to catch up with the international sugar standards and even competing with the top sugar producing countries in Africa. Mtibwa’s business plan for the future is to have more than double its cane sugar production ability at international Quality Standards. The Original capacity of the factory was 32,000 tons of sugar per year. This was never achieved; the highest production ever achieved was 8,000 tons in 1984. Since then production declined until it produced only 970 tons of sugar in that final season before its privatization. Q: How is company modernizing its operations? A: The rehabilitation and expansion ac-
Heavy Duty Agricultural Machinery at Work
NEW MOBILE IRRIGATION UNITS
In-house funded development of 1,600 Ha at Dakawa
tivities require the use of various types of modern machinery and equipment such as agricultural tractors bulldozers, light and heavy duty vehicles, motorcycles, cane loaders, cane trailers, compactors, heavy duty land preparation machinery, ploughs, harrows etc... Expanded sugar cane fields dictacted more harvesting capacity, appropriate cane trailers and cane loaders had to be acquired to cater for speedy and efficient harvesting of mature cane. We needed heavy tractors with the capacity of pulling 50 tons of sugar cane the use of Information and Communication Technology to increase efficiency, use of computerized weigh bridge system that captures the data as the cane-loaded trailers enter the factory. The same is weighed again empty as it leaves, enabling the system to determine accurately the sugar cane tonnage for subsequent calculation. Very serious investment was also undertaken for ensuring efficient offloading of cane and feeding it into the feed table to cope with the new plant’s crashing and processing capacity. Q: How does the irrigation system here work? A: With the new water intake after construction in 1999 we have three strong water gates for river water control and associated guards. The water flows through the main canal to the pump houses where it is distributed for irrigation in cane fields. We also have Italian made mobile irrigation systems which makes it possible to plant young cane during any season thus being able to continue sugar cane cycles. The mobile units can be placed anywhere within the cane field with long hose pipes ending in a powerful water gun then used to jet water taken from one of the reservoirs over the targeted area. Q: What is the sugarcane development plan for Mtibwa? A: The development of the new sugarcane fields was one of the major tasks during the first two years. This involved land preparation which included the cleaning of new fields, ploughing, harrowing, ridging and planting of cane but at the same time observing commitment to the application of scientific agricultural techniques such as use of fertilizers plus the fertile soils at Mtibwa which enabled the growing of very
health sugar cane with world class sugar content.
Q: How has the factory fared after privatization? A: Extensive rehabilitation and investment in new equipment were immediately carried out to restore the factory to a normal working condition. The factory expansion was completed in 2004/05. That saw the factory cane crushing capacity increase from 105 to 160 tons per hour. This translates into an increase of annual sugar production capacity from 30,000 tons to 60,000 tons. In five years we will see the factory capacity increase to 250 tons per hour. This will carry the annual sugar production to over 100,000 tons. Q: How do you esure that the environment is protected? A: The company has planted tress over the entire estate and the factory surroundings are continuously well attended.
Q: You have given us the installed capacity but what is the actual sugar production realized? A: 20,885 tons in 1997/98; 31,828 tons in 2000/2001, 41,008 tons in 2001/02. The all-time sugar production record of 49,169 tons was achieved in 2005/2006 season. For the current season we expect to make 54,000 tons. Compare that with the 970 tons at take over!
Q: What is the revenue earned by the out growers ? A: TSh 0.88 billion in 1997/98; TSh 1.8 billion in 1999/2000; TSh 3.8 billion in 2003/04; TSh 5.16 billion in 2005/06; TSh 6.84 billion in 2009/10 and over TSh 7.5bn/expected this season from about 214,000 tons cane.
Q: What is the sugar estate expansion plans? A: First is the vertical expansion of fields at Mtibwa estate in order to increase existing yields from 55 ton to 80 tons per hectare. Then development of 3,000 hectares of sugarcane fields at Dakawa. There is also the utilisation of imported cane varieties to achieve optimal cane and sugar quality and installation of irrigation systems in order to
WELL EQUIPPED MOBILE WORKSHOP
9-0 MW TURBO-ALTERNATOR SET FOR POWER GENERATION
achieve 100 percent in-field irrigation. Investment in more agricultural machinery and equipment is required under to the proposed rehabilitation and expansion program. Q: What are the key challenges facing the company? A: We need more land for cultivating so as we can attain to the goal of supplying sugar countrywide. Currently we have 5,000 hectares. We need 5000 more. There is a lot of land that its not being well utilized but getting it it’s not easy. If we had the other land it would help us increase the production for countrywide supply save the country from importing sugar which costing a lot of money. Another problem is the price of fuel; the prices of diesel hiking every day and it affects the cost of production causing the illegal importation of sugar into the country. The government should find a way of controlling it. Q: What do you do with the husks of the sugarcane? A: We make use of them to produce electricity and fertilizer and as in future we will be contributing to the national electricity grid. Q: How many people do you employ? A: We have employed 6000 people but if we are given more land we would employ 8000 to 9000 people.
Q: Do you need any more assistance from government? A: We need them to handle the issue of taxation as a whole for agriculture equipments being imported, illegal sugar importation into the country should be controlled, and sugar should be VAT zero rated like any other food stuffs and assistance on more land for cultivation since it is becoming difficult to acquire. Q: What advice do you have for the government on the implementation of Kilimo Kwanza? A: The government should handle the issue of land ownership to the people so that it will be possible for them to get loansto increase their productivity and improve the standard of life.
The Guardian KILIMO KWANZA
WHAT OTHERS DO
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Tuesday 29 June, 2010
Primary teacher earns millions by rearing chicken
s a teacher, Mr Michael Kibuuka was earning Shs200,000 per month. But when he ventured into poultry farming, he got abnormal profits and is now contemplating leaving his teaching profession to concentrate on chicken rearing, writes Fred Muzaale For the 10 years he had worked as a primary school teacher, Mr Michael Kibuuka failed to make any meaningful savings from his monthly salary to enable him build a house for himself, take his children to good schools and also lead a comfortable life. Kibuuka, a resident of Luwunga village in Kiboga District is a classroom teacher at St. Kizito Nkandwa Primary School where he has taught for a decade. In 2008 he decided to find a way of supplementing his meagre salary of Shs200,000 a month, and he ventured into poultry rearing. Apart from a one-acre piece of land which he bought using his savings, Kibuuka had no capital to start the venture he hoped would deliver him out of poverty. “I wanted to venture into poultry farming but I had only Shs100,000 as capital so I decided to join the Naads programme which accepted to give me 500 layers but on condition that I construct a chicken house,” the 35-year-old says. He says with his wife Annet Namugga, who is also a teacher by profession, they constructed a mud and wattle chicken house and were given the chicks and five bags of layers mash to feed the birds.But due to the amount of work and close supervision that goes with poultry rearing, Kibuuka’s wife, Ms Namugga resigned her teaching job to concentrate on looking after the birds. Within five months, the birds started laying eggs. “Every day, I was getting at least 16 trays of eggs which I sold between Shs4,800 and 5,000 per tray, depending on the demand on the market. “For the eight months the chicken were laying eggs, I earned a profit of about Shs8m and used some of that money to buy another 1,050 layers in January this year so that I expand my enterprise,” a joyful Kibuuka says. He says that he also sold the off-layers at Shs6,000 each. Kibuuka adds that he used some of the money to renovate and refurbish his house and to construct a locally constructed two-storied chicken house. “These layers have started laying eggs and everyday, I collect about 30 trays of eggs. Unlike other businesses where you have to struggle looking for market, poultry rearing is good in that you don’t have to look for customers, they are the ones who come looking for the eggs,” Kibuuka says. From the 1,000 layers, he hopes to earn about Shs17m within a period of eight months only. “No teacher or even some high ranking civil servants can earn that much money in only eight months but for me I get it,” the youthful Kibuuka brags. His fortune was further enhanced early this year in February when President Museveni visited his project and got impressed with his work. Last month, the President donated to him a feed mixer and feed mill to enable him do his work easily and at a low cost. “Since I now have a feed mill and mixer, I just buy the ingredients like snail shells, cotton cake maize brand and silver fish, mukene, and make the feeds myself.
From primary teacher to farmer Earning millions from poultry farming
This has greatly lowered my working capital because I now spend less on feeds which is a major input in chicken rearing,” Kibuuka explains. “Its better to mix these feeds myself because I mix the right amount of each ingredients which allows my chicken grow fast
and lay many eggs.” On his one acre-piece of land, Mr Kibuuka has planted a banana plantation and inter-cropped it with coffee. He uses the chicken droppings and coffee husks as fertiliser in his garden which has enabled him to get a good harvest.
Kibuuka says he is seriously contemplating resigning from his teaching job so that he concentrates on his project. “I am being cheated by being given Shs200,000 a month at my teaching job. So I might resign and concentrate on my project,” he says. Currently, Kibuuka’s
problem is lack of a nearby source of water where he can get water for his chicken to drink. “I use 30 jerry cans of water everyday which costs about Shs5,000 everyday. I want to dig a borehole or shadoof so that I solve this problem,” he says. His other problem is lack of a vehicle to
transport his farm inputs especially the feeds ingredients from wherever he buys them from. With the ever increasing demand for eggs, Kibuuka’s plan is to expand his project to 10,000 layers next year.
Daily Monitor - Uganda
One good thing to come out of climate change? If anybody is to know anything about underground water, it has to be Australia. The continent- nation has owes its wealth and development to underground water based Agriculture. When the climate phenomenon emerged, the commissioned a research on how it would affect underground water. Although elevated levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth's atmosphere could seriously impact air, weather and vegeta-
tion, some scientist say something positive could happen underground at the same time. Researchers at the Agricultural Research Services (ARS) said that if atmospheric CO2 levels double within this century, as many climate models predict, some areas could experience large increases in the rate of groundwater recharge, the process by which water filters through the soil and enters aquifers. The conclusion
reached by ARS team leader Tim Green, was published by Science Daily. Green worked with Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) to investigate how climate change impacts groundwater and the vadose zone, the region between soil surface and water table. The rate at which water filters through the vadose zone is controlled by interac-
tions between soil, water and plant systems. Green and his colleagues found that this rate was increased by the changes in precipitation and temperature that elevated CO2 levels are expected to bring about. The scientists developed a method for simulating the effects of elevated CO2 levels on plants, groundwater and the vadose zone. Then they applied it to two locations in Australia—one subtropical, one
Mediterranean—where eucalyptus, pine and native perennial Australian grasses grow. They found that the Mediterranean location responded more to temperature changes, whereas the subtropical climate was more influenced by the frequency and volume of precipitation. In both locations, changes caused to soil, precipitation and plant transpiration by simulated climates with twice the existing CO2 led to signifi-
cant changes to the rate of groundwater recharge. Water recharged from 34 percent slower to 119 percent faster in the Mediterranean climate, and from 74 to 500 percent faster for the subtropical climate. While the opportunity for decreased recharge rates exists, the general trend is towards increase. Future research will investigate whether those changes would benefit or harm those ecosystems.