East Africa Agribusiness Issue 11

Farm GUIDE: Honey for Money Issue 11, May - June, 2014

Citrus growing targets to increase household income in Teso sub-region

Price Ush 5000, Ksh 200, RwF 1500, SDP 8

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Uganda Diary sector Investment opportunities June Diary Month: Increased milk

consumption for a healthy Population

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MELTC; boosting household incomes through access to market

SUPPLEMENT

Farming

Crops that make you a millionaire quickly Issue 11, May - June, 2014

Farm GUIDE: HonEy For monEy

Price Ush 5000, Ksh 200, RwF 1500, SDP 8

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Quality forage increases dairy production Livestock fed on good forage boats high milk production

Issue 11, May - June, 2014

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NEWS 9 770230 601681

mELTC; boosting household incomes through access to market

SUPPLEmEnT

Chief Executive Officer: Godrick Dambyo Managing Director: Peter Mugeni Chief Operations Officer- Rwanda Kelvin Odoobo Editorial Coordinator: Joel Ogwang Writers Erick Wakabi, Prossy N. Lyaka, Miriam Mukama, Joshua Kasolo Sales & Advertising: Luke Kasolo, Denis Baris Ololo, Kasibin Francis Mutaka, Robert Byaruhanga, Bellah Ruth Nankanja Photography: The East Africa Agribusiness Magazine Ltd Published by: The East Africa Agribusiness Magazine Ltd P. O. Box 33752, Kampala-Uganda Tel: +256 414 223 471 /+256 200 902 012 Fax: +256 414 223 475 Email: info@ea-agribusiness.co.ug Website:www.ea-agribusiness.co.ug

04 | Genetically modified ‘super banana’ to be tested on Americans

DAIRY FARMING 09 | Highly nutritious forage increases dairy production

DAIRY FARMING

Poverty alleviation 11 | Where did NAADS go wrong?

FARM GUIDE

Rwanda: Contact Person: Kelvin Odoobo Agri Publications Limited P. O. Box 2227, Kigali, Rwanda Tel: +250 787 397 015 Email: info@ea-agribusiness.co.ug South Sudan: Contact Person: Wakabi Eric P.O Box, Private Bag Thong Ping, Juba - South Sudan Tel: +211954059046 Email: info@ea-agribusiness.co.ug Print: Lithocraft Investments Ltd The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the editor, or any other organisation associated with this publication. No liability can be accepted for any inaccuracies or omissions. ©2014 The East Africa Agribusiness Magazine Ltd The East Africa Agribusiness Magazine is registered at the GPO as a newspaper.

6 | Dairy industry contributing heavily to increased household income generation

17 | A farmer’s guide to growing mushrooms 21 | Honey for Money Agri-financing 14 | EAC budgets: Abuja Declaration target on agriculture still a distant dream

AGRIBUSINESS

34 | Citrus growing targets increased household income in Teso sub-region

OPINION

17 | Agripreneurs, Uganda’s new Entrepreneurs!

Ministry of Works

and Transport

Mt. Elgon Labour-ba

MELTC; boostin incomes through g household access to marke sed Training Centre

t

VALUE ADDITION

36 | Construction of Fruit factory kicks of August 2014 - Ogene

SUPPLEMENT Above: A market

day in Bulaago,

Mbale District.

Unemployment, like poverty, is a global problem. however, require Getting rid of these concerted efforts. twin-economic impairm And, in a bid to poverty through ents, ensure the roads empowering househo sub-sector contribu lds to earn a fair Works and Transpo tes in fighting pay in exchange rt (MoWT), through for their labour, its Strategy for the and Community the Ministry of Sustainable Mainten Access Roads, started the Mt. Elgon ance of District, Urban Labour- based Training Centre (MELTC ).

ide to Start-up gu groWiNg MuSHrooM

17

May - June, 2014

To advertise call: +256 414 223 471, +256 200 902 012, +250 787 397 015 1 May - June, 2014

5 - 12 June, 2014

19 - 20 June, 2014

9th National Agriculture Show 2014

West Nile Agribusiness Marketplace Event

Venue: Mulindi Ground Show, Gasabo District Mulindi Street, Gasabo, Kigali Organized By: MINAGRI

Heritage Courts (Agri-Finance Workshop) and Golf course Grounds (Exhibitions) Theme: “Enhancing Agri-Business Competitiveness in the Open Market through Linkages�

7 - 13 July, 2014

14 - 18 July, 2014

The 22nd Source of the Nile National Agricultural & Trade Show

Conference Revolutionising finance for agri-value chains

The show will be Unique in that the International Celebrations of 100 years of Laurate Norman Borlaug the Father of Agricultural Green Revolution will be hosted in Uganda.

29 Sept - 13 oct 14, 2014

15 -26 Sept, 2014

Facilitating multistakeholder processes and social learning

Organised farmers as partners in agribusiness

Venue: Wageningen, The Netherlands For details, visit http://www.wageningenur. nl/en/Expertise-Services/ResearchInstitutes/centre-for-development-innovati

Venue: Wageningen, the Netherlands For details, visit http://www.wageningenur. nl/ Organized By: Centrefor Development Innovation

7 - 13 July, 2014

18th FOODAGRO 2014

Is the largest International Trade Exhibition event held annually in Tanzania on Food, Hotel & Kitchen The exhibition attracts exhibitors from more than 30 countries and visitors from all over East & Central Africa, thus giving exhibitors an excellent opportunity to explore several countries in one time

Check us on-line: 2 May - June, 2014

Venue: Kenya School of Monetary Studies Street: Off Thika Road ; De La Rue Ltd Mathare North Rd, Nairobi For details, visit http://www.fin4ag.org Organized By: CTA

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30-31 October 2014

International Expo for Poultry and Livestock Venue: UMA Showgrounds, Lugogo Kampala (Uganda) http://www.avianaafrica.com/uganda2014. html

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News

3 May - June, 2014

Sh250 Million Available for Farming Business Plans Makerere University agriculture students’ Consortium for enhancing University Responsiveness to Agribusiness Development (CURAD) has staked up to Shs 250m in a competition aimed at supporting the best agribusiness start-up initiatives where the university’s students with business plans relating to commercialisation of agriculture stand to win money in the competition.

“The CURAD Innovations Challenge will boost the country’s poorly-funded agricultural sector,” says Apollo Ssegawa, the CURAD Managing Director.

“This challenge will provide winning businesses with incubation support and start-up or expansion capital to enable entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector to thrive and benefit the Ugandan people and economy,” Ssegawa explained during a recent press conference at Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute, Kabanyolo.

The competition, according to Ssegawa, will see 27 enterprises win in nine categories and will close on June 16, 2014 CURAD is a public-private partnership initiative promoted by Makerere University, the National Union of Coffee Agribusinesses and Farm Enterprises Limited (NUCAFE), and National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), the University of Copenhagen (UC) and NIRAS International.

Embrace Climate Smart Agriculture - FAO Kenyans have been advised to adopt new smart agricultural technique. This was in a new report by the Food and Agriculture Organization. The report advises that shifting world agriculture to a ‘climate-smart’ approach will not only help prevent future food security crises but also hold the promise of sparking economic and agricultural renewal in rural areas where hunger and poverty are most prevalent.

The FAO success stories on climatesmart agriculture report also notes that the magnitude and scope of climate change impacts on agricultural systems. It means that boosting rural communities resilience and adaptive capacities is essential to safeguarding world food security.

“A shift to climate-smart agriculture

will not only help shield farmers from the adverse effects of climate change and offer a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but can also improve farm yields and household incomes, leading to stronger, more resilient communities. We can no longer afford to separate the future of food security from that of natural resources, the environment and climate change as they are inextricably intertwined and our response must be as well,” said FAO deputy directorgeneral Helena Semedo in a statement.

According to the report, many rural communities are already successfully making the transition to new forms of farming better suited to the rigors of a warmer world.

EU injects Rwf184 Billion to Agriculture Devt The European Union has committed Euro 200 million (about Rwf184 billion) to the country’s agricultural sector. Amb. Michael Ryan, the head of the European Union delegation to Rwanda announced this during the closure of a Comprehensive Agricultural African Development Programme stakeholders meeting in Kigali on June 10, 2014.

4 May - June, 2014

The fund, to be invested until 2020, as part of the Euro 460 million earmarked for Rwanda’s development programme. “We are committed as the European Union. We like what is happening in the agriculture sector, the ministry is doing avery good job,” Amb. Ryan said.

This is not the first time the EU has been involved in promoting agriculture in Rwanda which according to Finance minister Claver Gatete is a centre of economic transformation and not only contributed to poverty reduction but also economic growth.

Genetically modified ‘super banana’ to be tested on Americans A vitamin-enhanced ‘super-banana’ developed by scientists is to be tested on humans.

The trials are to take place in the US over a six-week period. Researchers aim to start growing the fruit in Uganda by 2020.

The bananas are ‘super’ because they have been genetically engineered to have increased levels of vitamin A – a deficiency of which can be fatal as Hundreds of thousands die annually worldwide from vitamin A deficiencies, while many others go blind, the project’s leader told AFP. The project was originated by Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Australia and supported by the Bill and Melinda

Gates Foundation.

“We know our science will work,” Prof.

James Dale said. “We made all the con-

structs, the genes that went into bananas, and put them into bananas here at QUT.” Dale added that the genetically modified banana flesh is more orange than a usual banana, but otherwise looks the same.

The highland or East African cooking banana is a dietary staple in East Africa, according to the researchers. However, it has low levels of micronutrients, particularly vitamin A and iron.

If the project is given the go-ahead for Uganda after the US trials, micronutrient enriched/modified crops could also be given the green light for Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania.

TWB, JKT commercial Agriculture ministry in tomato disease fight campaign farming projects to earn over USD 200m every season Tanzania Women’s Bank Limited (TWB) in cooperation and the National Service (SUMA JKT) have announced plans for the implementation of extensive irrigation in their commercial farming projects with a financial analysis on the project indicating over US$200m to be reaped each season.

TWB Managing Director, Margareth Chacha said that the partnership would support out growers near large futile land owned by JKT. “Since we will partner with the National Service in irrigation farming, it is our hope that the out-growers will get a ready market for their produce.”

“Everything will be available in communities living around the areas where joint commercial farming will be carried out,” she said. Chacha pointed out that all payments or transactions made in the ambitious project designed to revive JKT agricultural activities will be made through TWB. “This partnership will see JKT becoming the foodproducing giant of the country. It will sell the products in both domestic and foreign markets,” she noted.

the economy annually. We have Kenya stands to lose millions moved in to address this disease, of shillings following an outbreak which destroys 50 to 100 per of a disease that has adversely cent of the plant,” he said. The affected tomato farming. The CS said the ministry has put in disease, which was first detected measures to stop the disease in Isiolo, has spread to five counfrom spreading to other parts of ties in a few weeks raising fears the country. of more losses to farmers.

Among the mitigation meaAgriculture cabinet Secretary sures include training farmers (cs) Felix Koskei said Tomato and extension officers and seekLeaf Miner is a serious disease Felix Koskei ing pesticides to kill organisms and a big threat to tomato producthat spread the disease. tion. He said the disease has been detected “We are working with Kari and universities in Kirinyaga, parts of Meru, Kabete and to research on the disease so that we can Loitoktok, Koskei. He said the disease stop it from spreading,” he said. originated from Ethiopia.

“Tomato contributes Sh14 billion to

5 May - June, 2014

Cover story

Dairy sector contributing heavily to increased household income generation

By The East Africa Agribusiness Team

The dairy industry is one of the critical cash-cows to the Ugandan economy, accounting for about 9% of total agriculture GDP and about 3% of the country’s overall GDP. While official statistics are often inaccurate or simply non-existent (in the case of the informal sector), annual milk production in Uganda is estimated at 1.5bn litres. Of the GDP attributed to the livestock industry, the dairy industry is estimated to contribute up to 45%, playing an important role as a source of food, income and employment. What is surprising, however, is that although Uganda produces a lot of milk, per capita consumption of milk is less than 25 litres. According to National Livestock Census 2009 conducted by UBO, the national cattle herd was estimated at 11.4 million.

Distribution

D

airy farming is concentrated in 42 districts found in the cattle corridor stretching from the South-Western region through central to north-eastern Uganda. On average, 60% of households in the cattle corridor keep livestock.

Uganda’s population growth has averaged 3% over the last 10 years. This rapid increase in population size, coupled with a growing urban population, is resulting in a growing demand for dairy products.

Thus, dairy development can be a major income earner in rural areas, increasing farm incomes and employment opportunities.

However, the available high potential land is intensively cultivated yet fodder supply is insufficient, often leading to serious environmental consequences as inappropriate husbandry measures are applied in non-suitable areas.

With the exception of South-Western and Central Uganda, there is a still low milk production level in Eastern and Northern Uganda, with milk collection, processing and marketing less developed.

Milk production Approximately 80% of the total milk produced in Uganda comes from local cattle breeds, accounting for over 95% of the national herd. In contrast, improved cattle breeds whose size is estimated to be less than 5% of the national herds contribute about 19% of the total milk output.

The total national milk production has ex-

6 May - June, 2014

perienced steady growth from an estimated 460 million liters in 1990 to 1.86bn litres in 2013, and is expected to grow by 20% in 2015 Uganda has five milk sheds: South-Western, Mid-West, Central, Eastern and Northern, though the south-western region has the high-

est milk production (36%).

The increase in milk production has been mainly due to favorable weather conditions and dairy development programs instituted by the government and development partners, as well as improved breeds of dairy livestock with

Cover story higher yields.

Currently, Uganda has a total of 98 milk collection centers, bulking about 445,000 liters of milk per day (i.e. approximately 30% of the milk available for collection).

Dairy Processing and marketing There are at least ten (10) large and small dairy processors in Uganda, most of whom are based in the South-Western (home to the largest milk shed in the country) and the Central regions of Uganda with a total installed processing capacity of over 389,000 liters per day.

The main products processed and marketed include, UHT milk, powdered milk, pasteurized milk, yoghurt, cheese, butter, ice cream and ghee. In addition to the mainstream milk factories, there are over 100 small–scale dairy processors that process between 100 and 500 liters of milk per day into yoghurt, ice –cream, cheese, ghee, boiled and cooled milk and fermented or sour milk.

Markets According to the Diary Development

Authority (DDA), it is estimated that 70% (about 1.05 billion liters) of the milk produced is marketed commercially, with the remaining 30% consumed on the farm.

There are two marketing channels for milk in Uganda: informal and formal marketing.

About 80-90% of the marketed milk is sold through informal marketing as raw milk.

There are over 200 milk coolers with a total capacity of about 550, 000 liters. Most of these are found in South-West region of Uganda.

Chilled milk is delivered to processing plants in insulated milk tankers.

About 10% of the processed milk is exported to the regional markets such as Kenya, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Southern Sudan, Mauritius and Rwanda.

Some dairy products are also exported to the Middle East.

Current capabilities and potential Uganda is in the epicenter of a rapidly growing region of Africa with a combined population of over 150 million people from Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Southern Sudan and Uganda, presenting an immense opportunity for investment in processing and exportation of milk products.

More than 2.5 million households in Uganda are engaged in milk production, with a national herd of over 11.4 million. Uganda’s annual milk yield is estimated at about 1.5 billion liters. Of this, about 85% of the milk is consumed in an unprocessed form. The country has a total of 87 active collection centers, bulking approximately 156,000 liters of milk per day equivalent to only 15% of the milk available for collection.

Competitive advantage When compared with other countries in the region, Uganda has more potential mainly due to her favorable weather conditions. The availability of the following key features provides a friendly working environment for the dairy sector: ■■ The Government has put in place an effective institutional regulatory and legal framework such as DDA and Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS).

■■ ·Existence of a well organized dairy processors associations e.g. Uganda Dairy Processors’ Association (UDPA).

■■ ·Available export market mainly in the milk deficient neighboring countries.

■■ Steadily expanding domestic and regional market with growing income per capita.

■■ ·Renewed Government commitment to support development of the sector through enforcement of laws and upgrading of extension services through such initiatives.

Access to markets or market niche Uganda provides a local market of about 31 million people, but is in the heart of a greater regional market of the East African Community (EAC) with a combined population of 120 million people.

The dairy industry in neighboring countries of Rwanda, Burundi, Southern Sudan and the DRC are not well developed, however. The export of milk and dairy products to these countries is therefore expected to continue.

The establishment of the EAC is complete, paving the way for the formation of a single market and investment area. Some developments in the implementation of the EAC Treaty programs include: ■■ Member states adopting a single customs entry document in 1999 ■■ Formation of the east African Community Customs Union in 2005 ■■ Forty two (42) standards have been harmonized and adopted as East African standards.

Three of the adopted East African Standards deal with milk and milk products.

■■ The East African Dairy Business Association (EADBA) regional interim committee was formed in 1999.

■■ The EADBA seeks to enhance developments and trade in the dairy industry within the region. Powdered milk can also be exported to the neighboring countries and the Middle East.

Capability and competence.

Dairy production and processing in Uganda has come of age. There is a growing number of highly qualified personnel who can provide expertise in milk processing. Most of these experts have experience in working with dairy and fruit processing companies locally and abroad.

There is also great potential of recruiting fresh graduates of Food Science and Technology from leading universities in the country and on-job training to many dairy processing assignments at the factory. Makerere and Kyambogo universities each has 30-40 graduates in food science and technology each year

7 May - June, 2014

Cover story

Investment Opportunities The proposed investment opportunities in the dairy sector include; processing one product or a combination of the following: Powdered milk, UHT milk, Pasteurized milk, Cheese, Yoghurt.

Challenges Despite various initiatives to enhance quality at various stages of the dairy chain, many weaknesses still exist.

Under-funding from the government has affected the DDA’s capacity to put the required infrastructure to regulate and strengthen the industry.

The productivity of smallholder dairy farms is generally low. Farmers are facing many challenges such as drought (causing scarcity of pasture and water) and high disease incidence partly responsible for the poor production.

The hygiene and handling practices at farm level are generally poor. The collection and transportation of warm milk as well as sale of loose unprocessed milk are still a big challenge as far as improving quality in the dairy chain is concerned.

One of the key challenges to milk procurement and marketing may not be the generally poor milk collection, transportation and marketing infrastructure but, also, lack of harmony between the formal and informal marketing channels. There is a need for policies to streamline the procurement and

marketing of milk in the country.

There is also a need for policies that will promote processing and enhance the flow of milk from the surplus to deficit areas within the country as well as facilitate a sustainable increase in the productivity of dairy farms, promote the collection, transportation, processing and marketing of milk and enhance the participation of stakeholders in the formulation and implementation of policies, standards and regulations.

Uganda has been one of the successful African examples of economic liberalization in the 1990s. Uganda, probably, has the most liberal trade regimes of any African country today.

All these efforts were geared to increase competition, which would, in turn, improve the quality of manufactured goods, encourage the emergence of new products and promote adoption of new production techniques and attract private sector investors.

Dairy is one of the sectors that had been under government control for a long time with the Uganda Dairy Corporation (UDC) dominating the buying of milk from farmers.

However, following the liberalization of the dairy industry in the mid 1990s, this monopoly was broken. This opened up opportunities for private investment.

Subsequently, the proportion of the national milk production that is processed before marketing has increased.

Access to resources 1. Land

■■ Uganda is blessed with abundant resources including good arable land in the countryside. Land can be bought from individuals or gazetted industrial parks/areas.

Prospecting investors are advised to acquire land on the advice of the Uganda Investment Authority or through the UIA District Focal Point Offices.

Favorable locations

■■ Investors in dairy processing in Uganda have the option of locating their industries either: ■■ South Western Uganda where there is a plentiful supply of milk. Locating a milk processing factory in the South Western region has many advantages as raw milk is in plentiful supply, labour is relatively cheap, there is a steady supply of utilities and the road networks.

■■ Namanve Industrial and Business Park (KIBP), nearly 12km from the city centre.

The park is serviced with running water, good road network, telephones and reliable power supply. A location to KIBP has the obvious advantage of assured market.

■■

2. Raw materials:

■■ Milk is plentifully available in Uganda.

The total national milk production has experienced steady growth from an estimated 365 million liters in 1991 to 1.296 billion liters in 2005. The growth rate of milk production is estimated at 8-10%.

3. Labour

■■ There is plenty of skilled and semiskilled labour in Uganda. The country has a good education system that churns out a number of graduates in most key professions at all levels.

4. Availability of technical expertise

■■ There exists technical expertise in dairy technology, food technology and powdered milk processing.

5. Availability of financing:

■■ There are a number of regional and international commercial banks including development banks that offer long term financing for viable projects.

8 May - June, 2014

Dairy Farming

Highly nutritious forage increases dairy production Livestock fed on good forage boosts milk production

I

n order to be successful, organic dairy farmers must focus on feeding their livestock on quality forages, both grasses and legumes.

Incidentally, the quality of feeds goes a long way in determining what other feeds should be fed to cows.

Accordingly, quality forages provide a nutritional base that maintains the digestive function, improves animal health and provides nutrients to the cow in a cost effective manner.

As well, they reduce the amount of purchased concentrates dairy producers need to buy to meet their production goals from their animals. So, what is quality forage from the cow’s perspective?

According to Dr. Denis Mpairwe, an animal scientist and head of department of agricultural production at Makerere University, whether zero-grazing or grazing on open farmland, the quality of forage is vital for animal feeding.

“Each dairy animal has different requirements,” he says. “For example, if it is pregnant, lactating or none of the two, it has its requirements but, usually, we try to meet two main nutrients; energy and protein. Others are required in small quantity; that is vitamins and minerals.”

In zero grazing that involves intensive milk production, the forages must be high yielding in terms of biomass, Dr. Mpairwe adds.

Link between Forage Quality and Cow Performance The importance of quality forages in dairy rations cannot be overemphasized, just like a balanced budget is to human health. Dr. Mpairwe says if the forage is low in nutrients, the cow is unlikely to produce high milk quantities.

“If the forage is 7% crude protein, the

animal will only be surviving and, therefore, cannot produce milk or grow,” he says. “For 11-12% crude protein, the animal is at moderate level of production, meaning they have some level of production and maintenance. At above 12% then you know you are catering for different levels of production. This is why we usually recommend that for a dairy animal, its feeds should have 16% crude protein so that there is enough for maintenance and production of milk.”

High-quality forages not only result in high milk production, but also reduced cost of feed.

Major forage types The common forage types in East Africa for zero-grazing livestock are the fodder grasses and fodder legumes.

Fodder grasses have ostensibly high dry matter in them and are high yielding. The common

9 May - June, 2014

Dairy Farming

Participants in a haymaking workshop in Uganda display a bale of hay made with baling technology introduced to the region by Penn State agronomy extension specialist Sjoerd Duiker (background in the red striped shirt).

fodder grass in Uganda is elephant/Napier grass because it has high dry matter rich in proteins, supporting moderate production.

If harvested at maturity, it can have up to 11% crude protein. And, its energy would be around 10 Mega Joules in terms of metabolisable energy. Its mineral content would be adequate for any lactating animal. Other recommended fodder grasses include; Guatemala grass and giant seteria.

Fodder legumes are divided into two categories, with the first being herbaceous legumes.

The most common variety is lablab, a high yielding fodder with high protein levels ranging from 16-20% crude protein.

It also yields highly in dry matter, minerals and vitamins and is usually used to supplement the deficiency in grass. Other herbaceous legumes include; desmodium, centrosema and siratro. These legumes are recommended to be grown together with elephant grass so that when the farmer is harvesting, he or she cuts the elephant grass together with the legumes.

“When the farmer chops elephant grass and legumes together, that combination is going to be very high yielding in energy and protein,” says Dr Mpairwe.

The second category is the fodder trees normally referred to as Multi-Purpose Trees (MPTs). The preferred fodder trees are the leguminous MPTs. The common types in East Africa include; leuceana, gliricidia, and kalandria.

10 May - June, 2014

Leguminous MPTs are multipurpose because they can be used for feeding animals, controlling soil erosion, soil fertility and firewood, among other uses. They are very rich in protein, ranging from 20-25% and have high mineral concentration.

Factors affecting forage quality Forage species, agronomic conditions, maturity at harvest and storage procedures determine the quality of the forage fed to the animals.

Forage species: The most important classification scheme to separate forage species is grass versus legumes. Quality of different species within these classes is fairly similar.

However, quality can differ greatly between the two classes.

In general, legumes are higher in feed value than grasses. Intensively managed grasses, however, can be equal to or exceed legumes in feeding value. Grasses must be fertilized heavily with nitrogen and cut at the appropriate stage of growth to have high feeding value.

Economic conditions: The agronomic conditions under which the forage is grown also affect quality. Many factors such as rainfall, day length, drought and temperature are beyond the producer’s or farmer’s control.

Nitrogen (N) is the plant nutrient that has a large influence on forage quality. Legumes do not need to be fertilized with N. However, grasses should receive N-fertilizers to improve

both in quality and yield.

Nitrogen fertilization increases crude protein content of grasses remarkably, but slightly reduces the concentration of available energy.

Forage fields infested with weeds or insects generally yield less per acre, but quality may or may not be affected.

Stage of maturity. When a plant is harvested, the stage at which this is done is the most important factor influencing quality that the producer or farmers can control.

As elephant grass matures, feeding value decreases steadily. To maximize both stand life of forage and its feeding value to highproducing cows, grasses should be harvested in the vegetative stage of maturity and legumes in the late bud stage. Dr Mpairwe identifies other factors as human factors.

“For example, if you start cutting your elephant grass frequently, the yield will continue going down as quality, too, goes down,” he explains.

Harvest and storage of forage Forage species, whether grass or legumes, have different stages of maturity. However, Dr Mpairwe says the forage irrespective of its species, has to be green to be harvested.

“Forages have different stages of growth but, for elephant grass, when it reaches the height of 1.5m-2m, it is ready for harvesting,” he says. “They shouldn’t overgrow. We also take grasses when they have initiated flowering.

This is when they are high in quality. For the legumes like Lablab, it is at the stage when they are pod filling. This is when they are high in quality.”

Forages used in zero grazing can be fed as green chop, silage or hay. Green chop is very similar to intensive grazing except that a machine is used to harvest the crop.

Harvest and storage losses are very low.

However, equipment, energy, and labour costs are high. Harvest and storage losses are greatest for hay and silage, but if proper silage and hay making practices are followed, these losses can be minimised.

Finding quality forage The main source of quality forage ranges from farmer to farmer. Farmers can get forage from fellow farmers in a vegetative form and or in form of seeds. The other source for forage are agricultural research stations.

Analysis

Where did NAADS go wrong?

By Joshua Kasolo

The National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) was one of, if not, the most ambitious dreams of the government intended to change the face of agriculture in Uganda. According to the first policy flame work issued in 2001, the strategic elements of the program were to; ■■ Create options for financing and delivery of advisory and technical services for the different farmer types; ■■ Shift from public to private advisory service delivery within the first five years and gradually reduce the share of public financing of farm advisory costs by the end of 25 years; ■■ Empower subsistence farmers to access private extension service and market information and; ■■ Develop private sector delivery capacity professional capability and systems.

T

he program was planned to run for a 25-year period divided into 5 phases of five years each. However, the first phase was to last seven years, including two-years of implementing it in a few districts and sub-counties based on specified NAADS conditions.

During the first two years, capacity building in preparation for wider coverage was to be undertaken. Other districts which meet the specified minimum conditions would progressively join the NAADS programme.

Role play Individual farmers engaged in similar activities were to form groups and representatives from these groups would form the farmer’s forum at sub-county level.

The sub-county farmers’ forum would be responsible for planning, contracting service providers and monitoring and evaluation of NAADS activities.

The local Governments were to be responsible for supervision, monitoring and evaluation of NAADS activities at all levels.

The NAADS secretariat would oversee the day to day management of the

Flashback: President Museveni inspects a stall at the Jinja agriculture and Trade Show.

program at all levels. The NAADS Board would be the governing body of the program and set policies and strategies to guide program implementation.

At the national level, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) would have overall responsibility for the NAADS program.

According to the policy program, each participating local government would need to have a three-year development plan approved by the district or sub-county council, an annual budget approved by the district/sub-county council and be ready to contribute matching funds to the NAADS budget as follows: district 5%, sub-counties 5%, and farmer groups 2%.

Overtime, the public (government paid) extension workers would be disbanded to allow the private extension providers take full charge of the frontline extension deliver with only a few remaining as in charge to monitor the performance at local levels and report to their superiors in

government.

Of the Total funds available, 75% would go to the sub-county to pay for services demanded by farmers, 12% would remain at the district for giving support to subcounties and monitoring of the activities and 13% would remain at the secretariat for over all coordination.

Funds from the central NAADS account in the Ministry of Finance would be sent directly to districts and sub-counties as conditional grants to finance the advisory needs of the farmers agreed upon at sub-county levels.

“Overall, NAADS (was and still) is a very good programme. I would equate it to the other government initiatives like Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE) in terms of relevance and importance, says current Executive Director Dr. Samuel Mugasi.

“In fact, in terms of reach, NAADS commands the highest clientele of all

11 May - June, 2014

Analysis government programmes. Remember that the agriculture sector is the biggest private sector employer and, indeed, the national development plan singles out the sector as key to the improvement of the rural economy. So NAADS has the potential to transform this country if well implemented.”

So what went wrong with the program?

For starters, most Local Governments (LGs) and farmers across the country failed to meet their obligation of topping-up NAADS funds. When an audit was done in 2007, the contributions from districts, sub-counties and farmers were 20%, 30% and 50%, respectively, of what they are supposed to have contributed.

“Whereas some districts like Arua had contributed 100%, districts like Nakapiripirit had contributed 0%,” the report notes.

A substantial portion of funding is provided by the programme but farmer groups and sub-counties still found it difficult to make their contribution. This affected the general running of the group.

“When the program started, it diverted from the original principal of ensuring that all the farmers, especially the poor, access the services from NAADS and, instead, shifted to asking farmers in a given locality (farmers group/parish) to select only three enterprises per sub-county,” observes Kahunga Matsiko, a researcher who also worked as a policy planner at the Ministry of Finance when the NAADS policy paper was made.

This diversion failed to realize that the subsistence farmers grow a multiplicity of crops and each individual might attach different level of importance to a particular crop also that the traditional extension service that the farmers were used to was all round with the crop specialist (agriculturalist) supposed to address all the crop issues for each and every farmer in need while the animal husbandry specialist (Veterinarian) to attend to all animal related problems for all the animal species hence all the farmer`s needs.

Restricting of enterprises was wrong While the principal of individual farm-

12 May - June, 2014

Dr. Samuel Mugasi

ers engaged in similar activities forming groups through which to access extension services was very good since it makes farmers of similar enterprises to share knowledge and experience as were well as form a pressure group to demand for extension services on the enterprises in question, there was no reason for restricting the sub county to three enterprises only since the farmers forum was to recruit the service provider on the terms agreed upon between them and the service provider.

“This recruited extension service provider could still cater for all the subcounty extension needs as was the case with the traditional extension worker at the sub-county since nearly all the farmers are involved in the production of multiple agricultural enterprise and our extension training system is such that the crop specialist is an all-rounder on crop issues and the vet veterinary extension worker an allrounder on animal issues,” he observes.

Low demand for extension services Ugandan farmers rarely demand for extension services. Most of them think that by adopting the skills that their grandfathers used, then their farms will be successful. This is why when NAADS was introduced, the fundamental issue here should have been to first guide and sensitize farmers to demand for agricultural extension advisory services from the service providers at a price acceptable to the two parties (the farmers & Service provider).

The poor subsistence farmers being jacks of all trade in the farming business could have been left to decide on which groups to join including one farmer being a member of as many groups as he or she can for accessing services on enterprises of his / her choice. This would have allowed farmers obtain value for their money without exclusion as well as keeping the service provider on his or her toes to serve all the interest groups. This limitation of farm enterprises at sub-county left most of the would be beneficiaries excluded. The majority of these were definitely the poor subsistence farmers.

This later turned out to be the main argument used by MAAIF for not disbanding the traditional government extension workers to give room for the service provider recruited and supervised by farmers forum at sub-county despite the fact that this was the kind of service delivery mechanism that the ministry or government wanted do away with when they conceived the NAADs system as the best approach for reforming this traditional extension service delivery system. In their set-up these traditional extension worker that were being criticized are required expected to provide extension service to all farmers ( on all aspects of crops and animal husbandry) at a cost determined by government in terms of salary and field visits facilitation).

Inputs were not demand driven.

The issue of enterprise specialization at sub-county level was a good one but would have come later after the farmers had graduated into doing farming as a business and could therefore easily zero-in on the most paying enterprises and still demand for the necessary agricultural advisory services. This could still be achieved through mere emphasis without restricting the service provider from provision of extension services to other farmers since negotiations would cover all the farmers in the whole sub-county irrespective of the enterprise and the service provider would have factored all his costs and remuneration of delivering such services to all the farmers in need into his package.

Also by their training, the service pro-

Analysis viders on the market are able to address nearly all the current farmers extension service needs. What was required was to be paid and supervised by the farmers thus making it demand driven.

Failed specialization.

This issue of specialization was abused to the extent that in some case 3 different people would be hired and handsomely paid as so-called subject matter specialist on one enterprise. A case in point was where for an enterprise like Banana, the people responsible would hire someone as an agronomist, another one as soil conservationist and another one as pest management specialist which could all have been handled by the same service provider since they are all complimentary ingredients for the banana growing and there is no specialization on banana growing beyond a Bsc. Agriculture to warrant treating the 3 areas separately.

Poor procurement system While the decentralization process from the central government to district has built the capacity of local governments to handle the planning, contracting and monitoring of NAADS activity at district level, this capacity is still lacking at subcounty and parish level. This led to most of the procurement/ implementation being handled by or with the dominancy of the “In some case, there was collusion with the farmers themselves at sub-county level.

This definitely created problems including procurement of substandard goods and services and outright embezzlement of NAADS funds,” says Paul Kintu Muganda, a lead farmer in Luwero.

Political interventions Because of the money involved, the program was also seen as a cash-cow and campaign tool for politicians, both locally

and nationally. “We used to get a lot of demands from political leaders to assist their people, most of these demands were outside the original NAADS mandate which affected the programme,” Observes a former NAADS district coordinator.

At one time, the President directed that NAADS starts assisting six farmers per parish, for which a model was drawn and in 2013, funds were diverted to fund and support activities of veterans across the country.

The Program currently seem to be driven by the political ambitions of those in power (from the Centre) than the technocrats from MAAIF as was supposed to be the case.

The only way to improve NAADs or whatever group replaces it is to go back to its original principle and move the subsistence farmers one step at a time from one level to another.

Ministers want more people to join fish farming

By Prossy Lyaka

T

he Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) has embarked on promoting aquaculture as a means to increasing the dwindling fish stocks resulting from bad fishing practices.

Aquaculture is the rearing of fish and aquatic plants to supplement the natural supply in controlled conditions.

The move is intended to increase fish production for both sale and home consumption, said Ruth Nankabirwa, fisheries state minister.

Once illegal fishing methods that deplete water bodies are not attended to, more losses will be incurred, hence failing the agenda of ending hunger and improving Ugandans nutrition, a campaign promoted by the African Union (AU).

Speaking during a ministerial conference on agriculture and fisheries organised by the African Union and NEPAD in Addis Ababa, Nankabirwa said Uganda losses close to 800 million shillings through illegal and bad fishing practices.

“We have come up with two action plans

as the Uganda government to intensify aquaculture plans to increase production in the fisheries sector,” said Nankabirwa.

“We are issuing vessel identification number plates to all boats to reduce the number of illegal and small boats which invade breeding areas in shallow waters. Those that are given licences are bigger boats which cannot go into shallow and breeding areas so the fish have the time and space to grow to maturity and reproduce.”

The joint ministerial conference under the theme; Transforming Africa’s Agriculture for shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods through Harnessing Opportunities for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development was aimed at discussing and examining the progress of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) implementation.

Nankabirwa noted that her ministry had identified partners who are going to produce fish fingerlings in four regions of Uganda, including; Nkoma fish hatchery in Mbale for the eastern region, Gulu (northern), and Kajjansi (central) to cater for the

people in the central region and Bushenyi (western).

The government has also identified 50 small-scale fish farmers who will be helped through the provision of refrigerators, electricity and water pumps to increase their production.

In the meeting, it was observed that Africa loses close to 10 billion shillings in illegal fishing, an element that is failing the continents Agenda of increasing food security and nutrition for its people under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Plan (CAADP).

As one of the pillars of CAADP, food supply and hunger aims at increasing food production and reducing hunger in the continent by raising smallholder productivity and improving responses to food emergencies.

Outcomes of the meeting will be discussed by heads of state who will be meeting in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, that will discoing food security concerns on the continent among other issues

13 May - June, 2014

Budget 2014/2015

EAC budgets: Abuja Declaration target on agriculture still a distant dream

By Eric Wakabi

East African countries have still fallen short of raising their country’s annual budgetary allocation to the agriculture sector to at least 10% under the 2003 Maputo Declaration fast-tracked under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) framework.

I

n the avow held under the auspices of the African Union (AU), the African heads of states pledged to increase their countries’ expenditure on agriculture to 10% of their total resources envelopes, a feat that would enable the continent attain a 6% food production growth by 2015.

The 10% budgetary increase would also enable these countries to fast-track the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) Goal 1 that targets eradication of extreme poverty and hunger.

If their respective 2014/2055 budgets read on June 12th, 2014 are anything to go by, then this commitment remains a dream.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) report 2012, agriculture continues to have the greatest impact on food security, poverty eradication and remains the principle engine of economic growth in East Africa. So how does this fact reflect in the national budgets of the East African countries?

While agriculture dominates their economies, contributing a vast portion to their GDP and employing well over 75% of the national population aged above 10 years, public spending on the sector is still low as reflected in the individual national budgets of the EAC countries.

UGANDA The agriculture sector in Uganda, contributing almost 21% of GDP, is to get a paltry 2.9% of the entire national budget in 2014/15 FY. While Uganda increased the agriculture sector budget from sh382.7b to sh440.7b, the real concern is that government has still not provided adequate budgetary allocation to match the optimism raised by Hon. Maria Kiwanuka’s

14 May - June, 2014

Uganda: Hon. Maria kiwanuka

budget speech and President Yoweri Museveni’s State of the Nation Address, referring to agriculture as a key productive sector.

In her FY 2013/14 budget speech, Kiwanuka said the agriculture sector would focus on developing rural agri-business initiatives to promote profitable agriculture enterprises across the country, accelerate support towards on-going efforts to rehabilitate large scale irrigation schemes and promotion of small scale and affordable irrigation technology.

She projected the total 2014/15 FY resource inflows at shs15, 44 bn. Shs12, 299 bn (81.8% of the total budget) of this would be from do-

Kenya: Hon. Anthony Rotich

mestic revenue sources while shs 9, 577bn will be from the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) tax collections and shs206 bn from Non-Tax Revenues.

The Minister added that total external financing of the budget would amount to shs 2,733 billion (8.2%) of the total budget resources. Attaining this target necessitated an imposition of tax measures that many have deemed disastrous particularly to the agriculture sector.

The Government’s move to slap taxes on agricultural implements is dreadful, according to experts, a move that could discourage growth

Budget 2014/2015 of the sector and, resultantly, ‘kill’ it.

Some of the tax proposals on agriculture commodities are contrary to Kenya’s 2014/15 FY decisions for the agriculture sector where Kshs 3bn has been allocated for inputs.

Scrapping of exemptions on the agricultural products could discourage growth and kill the sector which is still grappling with meagre budgetary allocations.

The government has terminated exemption on interest income on agricultural loans.

The measure is expected to generate sh25.1b, however.

Rwanda: Amb. Claver Gatete

According to a study report on the agricultural sector prepared for The Eastern Africa Farmers’ Federation (EAFF) in 2011, the agri-

Tanzania: Hon. Saada Mkuya Salum

The list of terminated exemptions with effect from 1st July 2014 include:■■ Supply of feeds for poultry and livestock ■■ Supply of agriculture and diary machinery ■■ Supply of packaging materials to the diary and milling Industries ■■ Supply of specialized vehicles, plant and machinery services and civil works related to roads and bridges construction, agriculture, water, education and health.

These measures are projected to generate sh215b and the details are contained in the VAT (Amendment Bill) 2014.

Termination of the exemptions on VAT

zero-rated supplies with effect from 1st July 2014:■■ Supply of cereals, grown, milled or produced in Uganda ■■ Supply of processed milk and milk products ■■ Supply of machinery and tools for agriculture ■■ Supply of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and hoes

culture sector in Uganda has not received more than 5% share of the national budget over the last three financial years.

“The Government’s goal in the agriculture sector is “to develop a competitive market-oriented agro-industrial sector that accommodates all farmer categories in different agricultural production zones”. From a global perspective, Uganda still has a long way to go to improve its performance in the agriculture sector. Agricultural productivity in Uganda remains low and the country is among the least 15 productive countries with regard to agriculture (World Bank, 2009),” the report reads in part.

In absolute terms, national budgetary allocations to agricultural sector in Uganda have been increasing from about UGX 135 billion in 2001/02 to UGX 366 billion in 2010/11 and it has reached UGX 400billion in 2014/15.

This implies that agricultural sector budget has more than tripled over the last ten years, but attaining the 10% threshold as per the Abuja and Maputo Declarations is still a distant dream.

RWANDA The country’s 2014/15 FY budget is estimated at Rwf1.75trillion ($2.6bn) yet she is the smallest in East Africa. Growth in the agriculture sector is projected to increase from 3% in 2014 to 5% in 2015 due to various stimulus packages proposed by the government.

A 2009 situational analysis of the agriculture sector conducted by the Institute of Policy Analysis and Research (IPAR) noted that the Rwandan economy is, and will remain for the foreseeable future, heavily dependent on the agricultural sector employing around 90% of the population, providing 91% of the food consumed in the country, contributing 36% of GDP and accounting for 70% of revenue from exports.

“Agriculture happens to be the main sector in the country that involves a big percentage of the population but most especially the rural people but the sector still faces a lot of challenges and this is why the government is developing different strategies that can help look into the different agriculture challenges, ” the Rwandan minister of finance Amb. Claver Gatete noted during his budget speech in Kigali.

KENYA Agriculture remains the core of Kenya’s economy. The sector contributes about 25% of GDP and about 75% of industrial raw inputs. In 2014/2015 FY budget, the Kenyan Government’s priority are similar to the previous year’s, namely; food security, increased productivity and commercialisation of Kenyan agriculture amid irrigation.

It is notable that in 2013/2014 FY, the budget focused on scaling-up of irrigable land through Sh3 bn , a seed capital of Sh2 billion was injected into the Agri-Business Fund towards improving farmers’ access to credit.

With half year 2013/14 absorption rate of 61% as well as inadequate rainfall, agricultural

15 May - June, 2014

Budget 2014/2015

The FY 2013/14 budget focus on developing rural agri-business initiatives to promote profitable agriculture enterprises across Eastafrica, accelerate support towards on-going efforts to rehabilitate large scale irrigation schemes and promotion of small scale and affordable irrigation technology.

performance and growth rate declined from 4.2% in 2012 to 2.9% in 2013.

Sh53.3 billion for agricultural services and Sh1 billion for an agribusiness seed fund and Sh9.5 billion for expansion and construction of irrigation projects countrywide was provided for in the new 2014/2015FY. As highlighted by Cabinet Finance Secretary, Anthony Rotich, Ksh 9.5 billion has been set aside for the on-going irrigation projects in the country. This will be inclusive of Ksh 3.5 billion allocation to the Galana Irrigation Project, Ksh 3 billion for inputs subsidy like fertilizer, Ksh 2.7 billion for Strategic Grain Reserves, Ksh 1.0 billion for fisheries development. For reviving the Kenya Meat Commission, the Treasury has allocated KSh 0.7 billion.

The Kenyan government is also looking forward to increasing employment opportunities in the sector and, for this reason, the Treasury has set aside Ksh 0.3 billion for the revival of the Pyrethrum industry and same amount for establishment of Free Disease Zone.

16 May - June, 2014

Drought and floods which have caused a severe blow in the agriculture sector are now being dealt with in the budget. Ksh 8.2 billion will be used for the construction of water pans and dams, Ksh 4.1 billion for water supply and sanitation and Ksh 1.5 billion for the environmental protection conservation and management. Ksh 0.5 billion has been provided for the completion of multi-purpose dams that were started under the economic stimulus programme.

Kenya has focused attention on agriculture to increase food production and reduce the cost of living in the country. Due to its significant contribution to the GDP, investments in agriculture provide the best option for the government to achieve equitable growth in the medium term.

TANZANIA Agriculture sector forms one of the key sectors in Tanzania for several reasons. Amongst these the fact that the sector employs more

than half of the country’s population (74%) and it contributes 24.8% and 24.7% to the GDP in 2012 and 2013, respectively.

Tanzania allocated 6.5% of the national budget to agriculture in 2014/2015 FY. A total of sh1, 084.7 bn is set aside for strengthening irrigation infrastructure in various area, construction of warehouses and markets, availability of loans for promotion of food and cash crops production.

The Tanzanian minister of finance Hon. Saada Mkuya Salum said her Government will continue to investment in extension services by strengthening agricultural research institutes and ensuring that there is adequate number of extension services officers and provision of better seeds and seedlings.

This measure, she said, would enhance production of crops, food security and ensure availability of reliable markets. The minister proposed the following taxes on agricultural products; Excise duty on soft drinks from shillings 91% to sh 100 per litre; being an increase of shillings 9 per litre.

Excise duty on locally produced fruit juices from sh 9 per litre to shillings 10 per litre, being an increase of shillings 1 per litre.

Excise duty on imported fruit juices from shillings 110 per litre to shillings 121 per litre; being an increase of shillings 11 per litre.

Beers made from local unmalted cereals from sh 341 per litre to sh 375 per litre, an increase of shillings 34 per litre.

Today, approximately 80% of Tanzanians are employed by the agriculture sector, which accounts for half of the national income and three quarters of the merchandise exports in the country.

It is estimated that agriculture accounts for more than 25% of Tanzania’s GDP, provides 85% of exports, and employs 80% of the work force.

Smallholder farmers in Tanzania are the dominant leaders in the sector and support average farm sizes of between 0.9 hectares and 3.0 hectares and cultivate 5.1 million hectares annually, of which % food crops.

According to the recently published Growth Africa 2014 Report, Tanzania Agricultural GDP grew by 3.4% in 2011. In 2013 1,049 new jobs in agriculture were created, with $9.7 million of investments made in the sector.

Start-up guide to MUSHROOM GROWING

May - June, 2014

17

FARM GUIDE

By Prossy N.Lyaka

M

ushroom farming is the latest profitable farming project that is slowly but steadily taking root among Ugandans, both the urbanite and the rural folks, especially those with limited space/ land.

However, many who venture into this new found goldmine are faced with challenges ranging from fake seeds and inadequate skills, among others.

Also, there is a challenge of identifying the edible varieties of mushrooms to avoid the poisonous types that possess harmful toxins. Thus, the choice of what to plant should be guided by researchers in the field, especially from national research stations like Kawanda.

According to Hannington Lwandasa, the officer the in charge of Mushroom breeding at Kawanda Research Station, growing mushrooms is not as complicated and taxing as many people perceive it.

By carefully following a few steps as explained herein below, one is able to grow mushrooms and supplement their household incomes.

Steps in growing mushrooms Growing mushrooms starts with setting up a structure, often roofed using papyrus mats, iron sheets or spire grass, says Mrs. Mary Goretti Mafabi.

In case one is to use papyrus, a layer of white sheet of hard kavera (polythene paper) should be laid in between layers of papyrus to reflect heat and light away from the shade.

Black kavera is discouraged because it absorbs a lot of heat into the shade, yet a favourable weather is critical.

If one is to use iron sheets; it would be better to put a celling using papyrus to shade off heat.

Mushroom garden and preparation A mushroom garden contains cotton wastes (husks) which are normally collected from Kawanda Research Station or oil processing factories especially those that process cooking oil from cotton seeds.

18 May - June, 2014

A farmer’s guide to growing mushrooms Note: all plant remains can be used to grow mushroom but cotton husks are the best because they offer high yields.

Soaking The husks are soaked in a drum containing eight jerry-cans of water for an hour or less. Soaked cotton is then removed and packed into a gunny bag, before it is left to drain off excess water for a day.

Packing in either a white or black kavera commences. In case some water remains at this stage, it should be squeezed out. It is advisable to soak the husks in the morning preceding packing the following day.

At this point, Lwandasa explains that cotton shouldn’t be soaked overnight because

it might take in a lot of water, leading to water-logging.

Mushrooms, like any other plant, don’t need a lot of water as it may lead to rotting of the seeds inhibiting germination.

“Mushrooms need a little moisture to facilitate decomposition of cotton waste so as to expose nutrients for mushrooms in addition to moderate temperatures and light,” Lwandasa says “Decomposition is necessary because mushrooms are saprophytes; they feed on dead matter; in the process (of feeding), nutrients are released, thus enabling the fungus to colonize the substrate easily. However, colonization cannot be possible when there is too much water in the cotton.”

tom of the drum and then put 20 liters of water in the drum. Put linner (gunny bags or banana leaves) on top of the stones / wood and the inner sides of the metallic drum. Pack about 50 gardens in the drum; cover the top of the drum with either gunny bags or banana leaves. Then boil / steam them using fire wood for about 3- 4 hours on constant heat.

Planting

Packing the garden Mafabi prefers making U-tube gardens by packing the cotton in a white kavera of about 30cm long to make a garden.

“The choice (of the length of the kavera) lies in the hands of the farmer because others prefer packing cotton in black polythene bags of size 28,” he says.

After a has been stuffed with cotton, it is then tied on either side with a string and not rubber band before being sealed with a paper at both ends. The tube-like type of garden is the most preferred in developed countries like China that produce mushrooms on a large scale.

The tubes make it easy for the machines to pack the substrate and mushrooms usually sprout on the openings left either side of the garden. Upon harvesting, the old thin layer on either side of the openings is chopped off to expose the fresh surface.

But this is done on only the u tube gardens.

Sterilizing (steaming) Put six sizable stones or wood at the bot-

In order to maintain the hygiene of the boiled gardens, a clean tarpaulin should be used when gardens are removed from the metallic drum and left to cool before planting in seeds. During planting, seeds from the packet are spread in the substrate. One should not plant seeds in hot substrates because the fungus (mushroom) will be burnt dead.

After planting the garden has to be kept warm and covered with a tarpaulin for three weeks to allow the seeds to colonize or to establish itself in the cotton before it can start to sprout.

At this stage, water is not necessary; after two to three weeks, watering begins to help in the fruiting process. On a dry day, watering should be done three times.

On a rainy day, watering should be done twice a day.

Advantages of tube gardens like those in the picture It is easy to tell whether the spawns are growing or not while black is quiet hard to see what is happening.

For the black kavera, one has to prick the garden to create some holes first to allow the mushrooms to sprout well and also for monitoring.

“But,” Lwandasa, warns; “Pricking a mushroom garden causes stress on the fruiting garden which impacts fruiting period and harvests.”

Pests that attack mushrooms Flies, rats, snails are some of the major pests to mushrooms Flies are so destructive because they spread pathogens to mushroom gardens

19 May - June, 2014

FARM GUIDE

1

2

Compost- wheat straw, water, chicken manure and gypsum

7

Peak heat room for pasteurisation (to kill any harmful organisms) and conditioning (to convert carbohydrates and ammonia into proteins

Mushroom growing process takes 13 weeks

After harvesting, trays are sterilised with steam. The spent compost is then taken away for garden mulch and compost.

3 Compost mixed with mushroomspawn and put into wooden growing trays

4

6 Each mushroom is handpicked, weighed then chilled in cooler units until dispatch.

Trays are cased with a layer of peat and taken to the growing room to await the first crop.

Yes they can grow in the dark

5

The first flush of mushrooms appear. Once mushrooms come through they double in size every 24 hours. Two subsequent flushes are picked off the one crop.

Flies lay eggs on the mushroom gardens which when they grow turn into maggots distract the normal growth of mycelia thus causing decay of the gardens.

middle-class especially those who are health conscious. In the local market, a kilogram of mushrooms costs between sh3000 and sh10,000.

Caution

Post-harvest handling

Always harvest three-days’ old mushrooms. However, Lwandasa warns that no chemical should be added or sprayed in at any stage of mushroom growing. “Spraying flies causes food poisoning because the pre-harvest interval for mushrooms is very short and at the moment we do not have a safe pesticide to use in the country,” he says.

“We have not come up with effective control option for flies but we highly recommend maintaining proper hygiene in the growing shade and the surroundings.”

Mushrooms are highly perishable and need to be consumed fast or properly preserved immediately after harvest either through sun-drying or freezing. There is need for value addition in order to improve on shelf-life before marketing.

For farmers venturing into commercial mushroom farming, it is imperative that they invest in a tunnel dryer. A tunnel dryer is estimated at between sh500,000 and sh1,5mm according to information from the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA).

Marketing Whilst mushrooms are not considered a priority crop by Government, their markets re often limited to supermarkets and a few markets. However, there is a growing demand for mushrooms from the

20 May - June, 2014

Advantages of venturing into mushroom farming Little space. Growing mushrooms doesn’t need a lot of land or space; activities can be done in limited space but still yield a lot especially in the backyard. It requires little capital of about sh400, 000 to generate reasonable income.

DID YOU KNOW? ■■ A 100g serving of mushrooms contains more dietary fibre (2.5g) than 100g of celery (1.8g) or a slice of whole-wheat bread (2.0g).

■■ Mushrooms contain more protein than most vegetables.

■■ Mushrooms are low in kilojoules: 100g of raw mushrooms contains just 100 kilojoules.

■■ Ancient Egyptians believed that mushrooms grew by magic, because of the way they could appear overnight.

■■ Mushrooms are one of the few natural sources of vitamin D, which is essential for healthy bones and teeth.

■■ Mushrooms are a great source of Bvitamins: it contains Thiamin, Ribofloxin, Niacin , Pantothenic Acid , Biotin and Folate or Folic Acid.

■■ Although vitamins are also found in many vegetables, they are lost when cooked in boiling water: as mushrooms are rarely prepared with boiling water, they retain their valuable vitamin content when cooked.

■■ Mushrooms contain virtually no salt.

■■ Mushrooms contain more potassium than most other fruit and vegetables: one medium brown mushroom contains more potassium than banana.

■■ Mushrooms are one of the richest, natural sources of selenium, an essential mineral which strengthens the immune system and may help reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic illnesses.

■■ Mushrooms are a good source of zinc, another essential mineral which helps boost your immune system, as well as your libido.

■■ The stem of a mushroom is a good source of flavour and nutrients so there is no need to remove it. On the occasions that you do need to remove the stem, chop it and add to stuffings, casseroles, soups and sauces.

■■ Mushrooms are best stored unwashed in brown paper bags in the refrigerator, preferably on the lowest shelf. Alternatively use a cloth bag or clean tea towel to wrap them.

■■ Be careful of wild mushrooms as many of them are poisonous and could be lifethreatening. Rather buy your mushrooms from a reputable grower or grocer than hunting them yourself.

FARM GUIDE

Honey for Money

By Kelvin Odoobo

One of the most under-looked, yet highly profitable enterprises in agriculture is bee-keeping. But, the high demand which, quite often, outstrips supply in East African (EA) and overseas means that beekeeping is fast becoming a lucrative pastime and profitable business venture. Amidst this spiraling demand, there are hardly farmers capable of producing honey just enough for the local market.

A

ccording to a honey value-chain financing needs assessment study commissioned by SNV Rwanda and Terrafina Microfinance, the world honey market is worth more than US$1.7 billion, with a trade balance deficit close to 50% of the honey global world market.

Ironically, Africa accounts for 1% of the global honey market, yet it has the potential of being the world’s top producer. In 2012, honey imports from EA totaled US$ 4.1m in imports while exports were US$ 4.1m, with US$ 3.8m from Tanzania alone.

Compared to other agribusinesses,

bee-keeping does not require many inputs season to season and requires relatively low technology. However, investment in hightech equipment can lead to better yields.

Colonization A profitable bee-keeping venture begins with bees. Honey is food for, and by, bees made from nectar that the bees harvest from flowers. In cold weather or when fresh food sources are scarce, bees use their stored honey as their source of energy.

Humans create artificial hives so that bee swarms can live in and make honey, which

is then harvested by humans. The hive contains a female queen-bee, a seasonally variable number of male drone bees to fertilize the queen and about 20,000 to 40,000 female worker bees.

Bees usually take some time to enter or form a colony in a hive. Hives are usually fixed with sheets to attract bees that freely travel in search of nectar and pollen or plant resins in within a radius of 3km.

This means that a bee-keeper could place hives even in an area of a quarter-acre and get descent production as long as the surrounding of 3km radius has good veg-

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FARM GUIDE

Honey Processing

etation. The fun about bee-keeping is that they will go to all neighbors and get the nectar, then bring it to your hives for honey. In fact, there are farmers who specialize in hiring or owning small pieces of land as long as the surrounding is well endowed with general vegetation or forests.

Hive Types They are three main types of hives; the traditional hive, the Kenya top-bar hive and the Langstroth hive. According to National Bee Keeping, Training and Extension Manual 2 by Uganda’s Ministry of agriculture, Animal Industries and Fisheries (MAAIF), traditional hives include the woven basket hive, the clay hive, the log hive etc.

The main disadvantage is that production is limited because they usually cannot be extended. Also, harvesting and inspection methods lead to poor quality of honey. The Kenya top bar hive is an improved version with better yields while the langstroth hive gives the best yields of the three types of hives, but costs more than the other hives.

Honey is usually harvested twice in a year but, with modern langstroth hives, like the CAB Hive supplied by The Hive Ltd in the east African region, can give harvests of up to six times a year.

Harvesting Honey In areas where there are dominant plants like coffee, sunflower, etc., a bee-keeper should harvest honey after the flowers wither. Suffice it to say, regular inspection of hives during nectar flow will ensure that the bee-keeper harvests as soon as honey is ready.

While harvesting, a bee-keeper is advised to wear bee suit to protect him/ herself from bee stings that are not just painful, but also gravely. About 10 puffs of smoke from a good quality smoker cause bees to fill themselves with honey, making it difficult for them to bend and sting. Gently tap top bars with a hive tool. A hollow sound will indicate where there is no comb.

Remove top bar from the hive that has no comb attached, so you can examine the rest of bars in the hive. Honey combs are usually at the end of the hive opposite

22 May - June, 2014

the entrance. Select combs that are ž or more sealed or capped full of honey.

(These combs are said to be ripe or have a low moisture content of less than 19% which ensures that honey will not ferment later when bottled. Leave combs with brood and pollen for future production of honey.)

Brush bees gently from the comb using a bee brush. You can cut the harvested comb from the top bar to fall into the bucket. Replace lid of bucket to prevent bees from entering with the honey. Return top bar, minus comb, to the hive. As an alternative, place the whole comb and top bar (after brushing bees off) in another empty hive or catcher box where you can take it away later for comb honey. Fix spare top bar in place of the one removed.

Gentle smoking is a continuous process during harvest time to control bees. It is important to avoid smoking the honey directly or excessively because it can damage honey flavour.

After harvesting, replace the first bar and cover hive with the lid.

Make a final smoke before you leave to keep bees away from the harvester and to prevent them from following him/ her all the way home. Remember to move through a bushy area first to get rid of bees.

Extract the honey from the comb and strain/sieve the honey to produce a good quality product.

For hives with a wax comb harvested together with the honey, remove wax capping from combs using a knife to cut-off the capping, break combs into smaller particles and sieve them through a net or nylon fabric into a plastic container.

The sieving process can take a few days.

After that, cover the sieved honey with a lid and keep in a dry room away from bees.

You can place the bucket in sunshine for two or three hours to heat honey gently so it flows freely. Never boil honey as this destroys its flavour and medicinal characteristics!

Once honey has drained through the cloth and settled at the bottom of the bucket for about two days, use a jug to pour it into honey jars for sale. For wax remaining behind on the straining cloth, squeeze out any remaining honey and process leftover wax.

Package honey in either plastic or glass jars, which should be clean and dry. Label according to national labeling standards of respective country.

For more information about profitable beekeeping in East Africa, contact info@ thehivegp.com

Ministry of Works and Transport

Mt. Elgon Labour-based Training Centre

MELTC; boosting household incomes through access to market

SUPPLEMENT

Above: A market day in Bulaago, Mbale District.

Unemployment, like poverty, is a global problem. Getting rid of these twin-economic impairments, however, require concerted efforts. And, in a bid to ensure the roads sub-sector contributes in fighting poverty through empowering households to earn a fair pay in exchange for their labour, the Ministry of Works and Transport (MoWT), through its Strategy for the Sustainable Maintenance of District, Urban and Community Access Roads, started the Mt. Elgon Labour- based Training Centre (MELTC).

Ministry of Works and Transport

W

ith a niche to exploit local content- labour and skills for a fee, MELTC was established benchmarked on using of local level planning and labour-based methods of road construction and maintenance to address the problem of unemployment.

Indeed, in 1995, the MoWT recognized MELTC as a project that would effectively train local communities in labour-based technology with support from the Nordic Development Fund, the Government of Uganda (GoU) and DANIDA, the Danish aid arm, through the provision of additional infrastructure, training operation costs and technical assistance.

In January 2003, DANIDA, through the Road Sector Programme Support (RSPS), started extending labour-based training support to districts in the north, east and southern parts of the country.

The first phase of RSPS (RSPS 1) project was piloted in northern Uganda.

However, due to the Joseph Kony-led insurgency at the time, funds meant to develop roads were not fully utilized, forcing the extension of the support to eastern Uganda under the second phase of the project (RSPS2) in districts like Kumi.

Today, the training center, located in Mbale, about 200km east of Kampala capital, is fully established as the national Labour-Based technology training centre in Uganda.

Its mission, as a technical institution, is aligned with GoU’s policy on poverty alleviation. MELTC’s aim is to supplement the efforts of the government to achieve sustainable development and maintenance of transport infrastructure to secure accelerated socio-economic development, especially that of the youth and women.

This has been achieved through the immediate objective of developing capacity in the private and public sector through planning and implementation of road rehabilitation and maintenance using labourbased methods, in a manner responsive to environmental, gender and social development aspects.

MELTC has also integrated gender, HIV/AIDS, youth, health and safety and

24 May - June, 2014

Meltc has helped in the construction of footsteps, ladders and footbridges on nonmotorised access aimed at improving connectivity between isolated communities.

environment issues in its teaching materials and trainee selection criteria which has been reviewed to broaden women’s access to the training, particularly those whose specific targets are set.

As a result, it has had an indirect impact on poverty alleviation by increasing employment opportunities for the local population through increased capacity within MoWT, district councils and local contractors that implement road works

using labour-based methods.

MELTC’S training methodology Over the years, the institution has used the modular form with a learner effectively- centered approach. The techniques used range from seminars, interactive case studies, exercises, practical demonstrations, discussions and short workshops during trial and training model road contracts.

MELTC carries out Training Needs

Mt. Elgon Labour-based Training Centre neers. This is done in form of preparing contract documents, identifying projects and appropriate technology choice to be used, monitor, evaluate and also report progress of work during implementation.

Labour-based contract management for road inspectors training Although the road inspectors are mostly in charge of the day-to-day inspection of the construction sites, MELTC helps in developing their capacity in managing equipment, quality control, daily work planning and compliance to gender, health and safety and environmental concerns.

Model road practical training This is done to strengthen the trainees’ understanding and application of the appropriate technology used. Under this, the center operates a model training road that is usually within its proximity. The site is usually used to carry out effective work and organization which helps mentor the trainee in the real site conditions since it covers a wide range of activities.

Non-technical courses, workshops and seminars

Assessments (TNA) for both private and public sector organizations that engage in labour-based road works in Uganda.

The course content includes road rehabilitation and maintenance using labour-based methods and incorporates cross-cutting issues such as gender, youth, environment, human rights and labour issues, HIV/AIDS, occupational health and safety.

The centre also provides outreach support services to districts and private sector organizations especially during

trial contracts that have been used in the construction of most roads in Mbale and neighboring districts.

The training techniques used at the centre include;

Infrastructure development calls for participation and transparency in planning and implementation at all levels from social, economic and environmental aspects.

MELTC enlightens these non-technical district staffs and politicians on their roles and responsibilities.

It also imparts necessary skills and the mechanism of their participation to ensure that the youth and the women issues are addressed in the overall road improvement and maintenance and hence all these are aimed at providing an enabling environment for sustainable infrastructure development and maintenance.

Labour-based contract management for supervisors

MELTC’s Labour-Based Technology Training Programmes.

The training center helps to develop and equip technicians and supervisors in the roads construction industry with the necessary skills, knowledge and attitude needed to enable them support the engi-

The training programmes at the centre are designed for both technical and nontechnical officials in ministries and local government such as road engineers, technicians, the community and environment

25 May - June, 2014

Ministry of Works and Transport

A farmer in Bulaago, Mbale District. Agricultural produce can now get to markets due to the good road network.

officers, as well as policy makers.

District Technical Staff Training includes;

Labour-based contract management for engineers The training develops engineers; knowledge, skills and attitude needed to mobilize human and local resources for the rehabilitation and maintenance of infrastructure in a manner responsive to the concerns of the youth, women, environment, gender, labour, health and safety including HIV/ AIDS, etc aspects for a sustainable development.

26 May - June, 2014

Forepersons and assistant forepersons training The site supervisors are the key contractor personnel. MELTC mentors them to master the labour-based road works terminologies and techniques, operations and their sequences, construction materials and their correct handling procedures, apply the appropriate labour-based work methods, etc.

Consultancy firms training (engineers and technicians) MELTC helps build capacity of the technical support units that offer technical

expertise to districts.

Routine Road Maintenance (RMM) Contracts MELTC trains engineers and senior technicians from public and private organizations through introducing an interactive practical approach to training in road maintenance, introducing basic principles of routine road maintenance, gaining familiarity, knowledge and skills in RRM contracting, etc.

Non-governmental organizations MELTC helps in the training of

Mt. Elgon Labour-based Training Centre Training background The National Labour-Based Training Component (NLBTC) was formulated by DANIDA in accordance with GoU and MoWT to build on earlier donor-supported initiatives to provide labour-based training intended to, among others;.

A labour-based road under construction in Kapchorwa District.

An arch bridge under construction in rural Mbale District.

engineers and technicians from non-governmental organizations involved in road works and other innovative designs.

capacity to provide these requirements.

International training courses for engineers and supervisors

The Contractor managers are enlightened on the potential benefits of labour-based technology and to identify labour based road work resources and operations for a sustainable contracting business.

Globally, most developing countries are widely adopting employment intensive methods and other innovations to solve the unemployment and poverty problem for sustainable development.

The use of labour-based methods for infrastructure development requires specialized skills, knowledge and attitude that are not common. MELTC has the

Contractor managers training

Community Access Innovations (CARS) MELTC helps in the training of engineers and technicians both from public and private organizations in in-

■■ Increase the physical capacity of MELTC to transform it into a national centre of excellence in training in labourbased methods, hence promoting labourbased technology.

■■ Support affiliation of the Uganda Labour-Based Road Contractors Association (ULBRCA) with Uganda National Association of Building and Civil Engineers Association (UNABCEC).

■■ Support the endorsement of the MELTC curriculum by recognized institutions in Uganda such as the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES).

■■ Increase the capacity of MELTC’s training staff.

■■ Assist in the training of local contractors for the implementation of road improvements and maintenance using labour-based methods.

■■ Support the training of local contractors for the implementation of road improvements and maintenance using labour-based methods.

■■ Support the training of district staff in the management of road improvements and maintenance using labourbased methods. novative designs like footbridges, ladders and footsteps on non-motorised access aimed at improving connectivity between isolated communities.

Trial contract outreach support MELTC provides outreach support services to trainees in their respective districts. The trainees are required to demonstrate ability to produce quality works that meet set standards of the MoWT. The center, at this stage, evaluates the trainees and successful trainees are awarded certificates.

27 May - June, 2014

Ministry of Works and Transport

We need to institutionalize MELTC As a training center, we are committed to providing a positive, supportive and engaging learning environment in labour based technology where all students and engineers can reach their full potential.

Samuel Kisira, the Principal of Mount Elgon Labour Based Training Center (MELTC) spoke to The East Africa agribusiness Magazine.

R

oads are what define us; we are a roads training school that caters for all technical requirements in the road sector for practicing engineers. We offer these services through classroom training and then to the practical bit that involves working on demonstration roads. After all this is done, one is given a trial contract in a district in order to execute work under a life situation.

Over the years, our aim and focus has always been on women and youth specifically. Educate a woman, they say, and you will have educated the whole nation. With Labour based technology training, employment opportunities are availed

automatically.

In Uganda today, the youth are quite a number and so is the issue of unemployment. Universities release so many graduates and, at times, the job market cannot cater for all of them, culminating into social upheavals because of the frustration of not finding what to do.

There is need to fully institutionalize MELTC in the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) so that we can train people in our societies in this kind of technology that goes a long way in providing a solution to the unemployment problem in Uganda today. This is because when the country has good road networks, there is social and economic development.

The benefits of labor based methods, compared to equipment based methods, are so many and some of them include; job creation and longer life span for the roads. I strongly believe that by championing the use of labour based methods in road engineering, we will develop Uganda economically and socially since the money remains within the hands of the locals because of their full time participation during the process of construction.

So, when you are looking for training in this kind of technology, Meltc is the place one can come and get polished in road engineering skills and knowledge. It will be a worthwhile investment for our nation.

For God and My country For More information about labour Based technology, Please Contact: Ministry of Works and Transport Mt. Elgon Labour-Based Training Centre (MELTC) P.O.Box 2415, Mbale- Uganda Tel: +256 392 221 533 Fax: +256 454 463 502 Email: meltc@iwayafrica.com

28 May - June, 2014

Mt. Elgon Labour-based Training Centre

Labour-based roads have improved lives in Kumi District “When I came into this office in 2002, the road network here in Kumi was very bad; absolutely impassable. Poverty was very high at the time but, when these roads were opened through labour-based technology, people could work by themselves during construction,” says Ismael Orot, the Kumi district LC5 chairperson

T

MELTC helps in the training of engineers and technicians both from public and private organizations in innovative designs like footbridges, ladders and footsteps on nonmotorised access aimed at improving connectivity between isolated communities.

hrough labour-based technology, the local community started earning money and their livelihoods improved instantly.

Since the roads became accessible, the community engaged in farming of yellow sweet potatoes, maize, beans and sorghum as the market for their commodities opened up.

When the community engaged in this kind of roads maintenance technology, people were assured of employment and this contributed highly to the National Resistance Movement (NRM) manifesto geared towards poverty eradication.

The focus, however, still remains on all the communities but, most especially, the youth and women, notes Orot.

“I am glad that this (labour-based technology) has enticed people to work hard; the youth are sensitized about several topics such as HIV/AIDS during the periodic meetings that are held when road works take place,” he says.

“Our stuff have been trained at Mt. Elgon Labour Based Technology Center (MELTC) which is the backbone of this technology.”

The institution has trained scores of people in the community and empowered them with the necessary skills and knowledge about road works that they, initially, didn’t have such as constructing roads using their hands other than machines as the main component.

“My urge is that labour based technology should be continued and adopted by the rest of the districts in Uganda because, not only will it make the roads last longer than they should have, it will give our people employment opportunities and a sense of ownership.

They will, in turn, be proud of their contribution to the development of road networks in the country and they will own it”.

29 May - June, 2014

Ministry of Works and Transport

Labour-based technology, the future of road works in Uganda Established in eastern Uganda, Labour-based technology has endeared itself into the local road construction industry, exuding quality works and contributing significantly to national development albeit with a focus on poverty alleviation among women and youth. Miriam Mukama interviewed Justin Orone, the Kumi district engineer about labour-based technology and its contribution to community development. Below are excerpts; has been provision of employment opportunities, improved access to markets, schools and health facilities, which has reduced the mortality rates in these communities. The gap between the town and the local areas has been bridged. Prices of local produce have reduced due to the improved road construction and increased household income.

What is labour-based technology?

Labour- based technology is, basically, the use of people in road maintenance.

The interventions we do include; road rehabilitation, construction and maintenance. Under such activities, we use labour known as road gangs. They do the manual maintenance of the roads When and where did it start?

It started from northern Uganda under a project known as Road Sector Programme Support phase one (RSPS1) and, later, RSPS 2 in the East. It was later changed to Rural Road Programme (RRP), currently known as the Rural Transport Infrastructure (RTI) programme. This is the labour-based technology approach that is used when doing projects.

What activities take place under labourbased technology?

Under labour-based, we have people constructing, maintaining and supervising the roads. There are also road gangs (people who work together as a group) that carry out road maintenance activities (for pay).

How different are these road gangs from those from the ministry of Works and Transport?

They are different because we get people from the local community such as Kumi district preferably those that stay along the roads to protect and can take care of the roads. They are there to ensure that these roads aren’t misused.

Which people participate in these projects?

30 May - June, 2014

Is there a difference between labourbased constructed roads and the ones constructed using machines?

Definitely, they are different. Incidentally, the roads constructed by labour based technology last longer than those of machines.

The only disadvantage is that they take longer to get done unlike those that are made by the machines. However, they are done slowly but systematically.

Anyone can participate as long as they go through proper training, even the disabled, since they are good at record keeping and storage. However, we emphasize women and the youth mostly.

Why the women?

Yes, preference is given to women because their population is higher. It is said that educating a woman is educating a nation. For example, in most cases, when women get money from road works, the money is utilized properly and not squandered (like it is when men get theirs).

Other than focusing on the women and the youth, how has Labour-based technology improved the wellness of the community at large?

Due to labour-based technology, there

Which of the roads is more expensive than the other?

Labour-based technologically-made roads tend to be more expensive but last longer.

They are built from the base and their strength is at the foundation unlike the machine made roads whose stages are skipped sometimes. With labour-based technology, every stage is supervised.

Would you recommend this kind of technology elsewhere?

Yes, I would, because amidst all the technical advantages, it gives money back to the community through employment, hence increasing household income. There is also an aspect of ownership since the roads are constructed by the people living in the community.

Mt. Elgon Labour-based Training Centre

“Women are the future contractors” They have constructed roads to improve their livelihood using their own hands due to Labour-based technology.

D

onning a brown short-sleeved coat and a flowery dress, she sits, plotting her next move. For a moment, Immaculate looked just another office woman who organizes her files and heads to the field to carry out activities on the site such as digging, just like many of them who work on the roads in Mbale’s heaving trading centers and nearby village roads.

But when she turned and flashed a shy smile with simplicity, I saw a face of a painstaking kind of woman. And then I discovered, to a creeping sense of shame, that she was not a worker from the premises. Immaculate Olowo is the managing director of Rock Century Works located in Tororo district however, the story of how she made it this far is not a fairytale.

Olowo had three children when her husband succumbed to an illness and passed away in 1998. “When he died, he left me with just a motorcycle. I had to look after them on my own”, she says. At the time, she had faded into the situation, immersing herself in the drudgery of dull and backbreaking chores.

Later that year, she was given an opportunity to train with the only labour-based technology institution in Mbale known as Mount Elgon Labour Based Technology Center (MELTC).

“When I was given that opportunity at the institution, it was my turning point. I knew that with such skills in road works, my life and that of my children would change for the better. I was the first and only woman to train in this institution”, she adds.

In a society where unemployment is still an ongoing issue, finding work as a woman can be oppressive. Olowo is different from many Ugandan women who have simply sunk into oblivion because they lack the opportunity to work, not by choice but because there are not enough opportunities for them.

Due to labour based technology, Mbale’s fast-changing communities are slowly beginning to accept women to take part in road works and

Immaculate Olowo, managing director, Rock Century

this is what has given women such as Olowo a chance to become who they are today.

MELTC as an institution focuses on ensuring that the women and the youth are employed through labour based technology. It involves the use of human hands to build roads implying that the community is directly involved in the construction of the roads.

Madina Nabula, a widow seemingly in her late 40’s is an example of how Labour-based technology has changed the lives of women most especially those with children. She has worked on the construction of roads for seven years.

“I searched around for something to do in order to improve on household income but all in vain until labour based technology was introduced in Mbale. Now I am able to sustain my family and our lives have changed. It has been a blessing,” Madina says.

“I did not want to remain unemployed. So I’d rather carry on like this because this kind of technology uses labour which means as the locals, we are involved in the constructing of

these roads. I also needed to sustain my children.

Being a widow is the hardest thing because then, you are on your own and everyone looks up to you to play the father and mother role at the same time, you know”, she adds.

These are a small but growing number of women who are involved in road works in conjunction with labour based technology despite the uphill struggle involved.

“Road works is not a hard thing, it requires patience and commitment. I have worked on more than 1000km of road works. He left me with only a motorcycle but now I am driving, the existence of labour based technology has increased my household income”, says Olowo.

Labour based technology involves the use of human labour in the act of constructing roads, sustaining and maintaining them. Under this, women and men are involved especially the women since they are largest population in the country.

Our focus is to ensure that employment opportunities are increased through this kind of technology that allows the involvement of the general public hence increasing household income, says Samuel Kisira, Principal MELTC. According to Meltc’s statistics, there are about eight women contractors since 1995 and Olowo was the first woman. She has worked on Busia, Tororo, Mbale, Kaberamaido, Katakwi, Pallisa, Budaka and Bukedea roads all using labour based technology.

Labour based technology has helped the community especially the women since they are employed and in the long run, they help their families. “Women know how to utilize money when it’s given to them. They take their children to school and work hard to develop the homes that they live in”, says Esther Kagusuma, sociologist MELTC. This technology is the way forward since it involves the community in the construction of the roads which gives them a sense of ownership, says Justine Orone, District Engineer Kumi

31 May - June, 2014

Ministry of Works and Transport

A well maintained labour based road in Kumi District.

district.

Like many of the people, who are mostly from poor, rural backgrounds, they had little to lose by joining road works which has in turn made their lives better. Now most of the women live in roofed houses and have managed to take their children to school.

A community with people who are willing to work, women and men who have given their all to ensure that the roads are in place and yet the same people still search for employment but all in vain.

Many of them are beginning to work on the roads while choosing to get trained in labour based technology, and eking out a life for themselves without depending, just like Madina and Olowo, on the munificence of their families but themselves. They still hope that more opportunities such as these are created and that Labour based technology will be adopted by the rest of the country.

32 May - June, 2014

Olinga Mark, Contractor and Managing Director, Nami Hardware and Timber Limited.

Oriebo Orone, Contractor and Managing Director, Roone Engineering Co. limited

Supplement

33 May - June, 2014

Agribusiness

Citrus growing targets to increase household income in Teso sub-region

By Prossy N.Lyaka

In the past, buying fruits from market stalls or supermarkets was a rarity; it was a practice considered foreign thing tagged only to visiting whites or tourists. However, over time, this has changed. There is a growing number of the urban population that flocks markets like Nakasero in Kampala city to buy fruits such as oranges, mangoes and passion fruits.

A

nd, as more people get urbanized in addition to increased awareness of the health benefits of fruits and vegetables, the demand for fruits and vegetables is bound to rise.

According to Dr. Peter Ngategize, the national coordinator of the Competitiveness and Investment climate Strategy in the ministry of finance, Planning and economic development (CICs), the growing nutritional requirements and population is creating demand for fruits in Uganda today.

Unfortunately, not many areas in Uganda have the suitable climate for fruits like citrus growing part from Teso sub-region and some parts of Busoga, all in eastern Uganda. Areas like Kabale and the slopes of Mt. Elgon are prominent areas that supply passion fruits and apples.

In Teso, for example, citrus growing in particular and horticulture in general, present a life-changing opportunity for the locals who have a perennial commodity that can provide incomes unlike the normal annual crops which require ploughing and weeding until harvest time.

It is against this background that the ministry of finance, through CICs, is promoting citrus growing and fruits in general in Teso region.

Why promote citrus growing in Teso Region?

Ngategize explains that citrus growing in Teso will create employment for the youth,

34 May - June, 2014

of what they are planting and the varieties are taken care of with a quality nursery,” says Ngategize.

The most sought after varieties include; Washington naval, Harmulin and Efransia which is the most popular, in addition to other fruits like Tangarines, lime and lemon.

Threat from imported fruits Dr. Peter Ngategize

hence improving household incomes and increased productivity for export.

More so, Ugandan fruits are highly demanded by neighbouring countries like Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan, to mention but a few.

“This is the opportunity we want to harness by making available supporting infrastructure to help increase production,” said Ngategize.

Steps being taken to promote citrus growing in Teso The National Agriculture Research Organisation (NARO), the National Agriculture Advisory Services (NAADs) and the ministry of agriculture, animal industry and fisheries, through horticulture resources, have been offering training to Citrus fruit Nursery Operators to ensure that only quality seedlings are produced and distributed to farmers.

“With quality nurseries, farmers are sure

However, there is a fear from potential investors of the increasing importation of citrus from South Africa, Kenya and Egypt, among others, may out compete those gown locally in the Ugandan market.

For Jane Namubiru, an importer of oranges and apples from South Africa, local fruits may not compete with those from South Africa.

While Hanifa Mpagi who sells mangoes and Tangerines from Busoga wants government to stop the importation of fruits that are grown locally but from other countries.

In response, Ngategize says it is impossible to completely stop importation of fruits on the Ugandan Market.

“Instead, imports present a challenge to Ugandan farmers to learn how the others are packaging their fruits and handling them in order to attract market so they too can sell theirs in a more organised manner,” he says.

“The issue is not to protect Ugandan fruits trader (from competition), but to ask them to be competitive.”

Protection by stopping importation means denying the consumer quality goods

from South Africa. Local farmers should learn to compete from the context of better quality products and making them cheaper because they don’t have to go through the hustle of importing.

A deliberate measure to stop fruit imports also means that consumers will be denied access to fruits in times when the country cannot meet seasonal demands.

How CICs plans to market the industry and the best investment area Dr.Ngategisze notes that the horticulture

industry has not had adequate support for long because it has not been recognized.

As a result, it has suffered problems like; inadequate or total lack of skills and technology to handle products from the industry, wrong use of pesticides, poor roads, lack of proper seedlings and processing technologies which have seen many fruits wasted.

He said that CIC is using the concept of a cluster to ensure that the process is driven from knowledge based on stakeholders in the sector.

Available Fruit Processing Plants markets so far Information obtained from Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) by 2012 shows that at least seven certified large scale fruit juices/drinks producing companies were registered.

These include; Century Bottling Company, Azam Cola and Sameer through Daima fruits, among others. The latest fruit factory to be set up in Soroti is likely to be launched in July 2014.

35 May - June, 2014

Value Addition

Construction of Fruit factory kicks of August 2014 - Ogene

By Prossy .N.Lyaka

Construction of a fruit processing factory in Soroti district kicks off in August this year after government sealing a deal with the South Korean Development Agency (KOICA).

A

ccording to the Acting Chief Executive officer of Uganda Development Corporation Fred M.Ogene, negotiations between government and the funding agency from South Korea of Government has been completed.

The factory, whose idea was conceived in 2008 and will be stationed in Soroti town, is part of government’s reward to fruit farmers in Teso region for quiet some time.

Statistics from the Agriculture ministry show that the sub-region is known to have more than five million orange trees, and an estimated 1.5 million trees of mangoes.

As a result millions of trees ripen at ago, leaving the residents in a dilemma; they cannot consume all and neither can they find adequate market for all of them.

As a result, millions of fruits are left to rot on tree or are just collected in sacks and dumped in gardens away from homes to avoid the “So when this factory opens it will provide market for the fruits reducing over dependency on the monopolies that are there today,” said Ogene.

Ogene explains that through the assistance of KOICA a south Korean development Agency, government negotiated a grant to put up that factory, and the factory is expected to start this year.

He adds that equipping the factory will take 12 months; and the factory will be complete in August 2015 and production starts in September the same year.

36 May - June, 2014

What should farmers do ahead of 2015?

Government has been encouraging farmers to grow the citrus fruits of which Oranges take about 18 months to grow.

Currently some farmers are already harvesting but the market is still unfriendly.

Ogene advises such farmers to go a head and sell to the available customers and companies but with in a year, the factory will be ready.

He also advises them to form a cooperative union through which they will be selling their fruits to the factory.

The advantage of selling through a cooperative is that farmers will be earning double from the shares as a cooperative and also through the sale of their fruits.

“The cooperative union on behalf of the shareholder who are farmers will benefit in two ways through the dividends through share holding and then sale the fruits to the factory,” he added.

Statistics from the Agriculture ministry show that the subregion is known to have more than five million orange trees, and an estimated 1.5 million trees of mangoes.

What’s the fate of imports of mango pulp and other fruits?

He said that the issue is being addressed through the ministry of trade Industry and cooperatives but it’s unlikely that they will be stopped.

“We are not producing enough in the country so we can’t stop them. When we start producing that is when we can think of stopping them.

We are that most of these companies pretending to buy fruits from Uganda are importing mango pulp from India but then this will be discussed at a later stage,”

farming tips

Ask the Experts

What are the strategies for disease control and management in organic growing systems There are a number of key practices that are used within organic farming systems to ensure that levels of disease incidence are maintained below economically damaging levels. The following practices are encouraged in order to reduce disease impacts.

Promoting Soil Health and Crop Vigour.

1

Optimum soil health is essential in order to give the crop the range and quantity of nutrition required. Availability and balance of minerals is important for production and stimulation of good plant defence systems which can reduce the success of the pathogen at the penetration and colonisation stages.

Optimum soil health can be facilitated through regular input of organic residues in the form of composted manures and plant remains as part of appropriate fertility building methods and suitable management of pH, irrigation and tillage.

2

Rotation

The development and implementation of well-designed crop rotation is central to organic production systems. Balanced rotations which ensure that plants with similar disease susceptibility are separated by appropriate time interval which prevents unnecessary exposure of the crop to disease. Rotations will break the disease cycle at the maintenance stage and therefore irradicate or reduce the amount of disease inoculum available which in turn will reduce the success of the recognition and penetration stages. Soil Association standards prohibit the cultivation of alliums, brassicas and potatoes on the same land more than one year in four for this reason.

3

Varietal Selection

Careful choice of varieties appropriate to the location, which may be fast maturing or resistant to known farm disease problems, is essential for reducing the success of the penetration and colonization stages. If there is a particularly high disease risk in your area it may be sensible to consider not growing certain crops. Grafting onto resistant root stocks can be particularly

useful for crops such as cucumbers.

4

Planting dates and cropping

Strategic use of sowing dates is important for avoiding having young and vulnerable crops at times of high disease risk. It is useful to make disease risk assessment part of the management plan. Mixed cropping, variety mixtures and separating sowings in time and space can all help to reduce disease success at the dispersal and recognition stages. Crop spacing will affect the micro-climate around the plants so can be used to make conditions less favourable to disease especially at the reproduction and dispersal stages.

5

Avoidance of Pesticides

The use of pesticides will affect the leaf and soil microbial balance. In situations where control becomes necessary (e.g to break the disease cycle at the colonisation stage) make use of knowledge about the benefits of cultural techniques, a virulent strains, biological control (natural is preferable to imported) and elicitors before turning to permitted sprays and inputs.

6

Diversity It is important to encourage the creation

and establishment of a diverse and balanced ecosystem within and around the crop so that no one species/organism gets out of hand.

This helps to keep pathogen levels down at all stages of the lifecycle but especially at the maintenance stage. There are many possible techniques for achieving community stability including through direct manipulation of the farming system (e.g. cropping patterns such as rotation, patch size, under sowing, intercropping, companion planting and trap cropping) to complement habitat management (e.g. trees hedgerows, field margins, water and wetland).

These methods can also be used to encourage environments suitable for natural biological control organisms that control the pathogen through antagonistic effects.

7

Cultural Measures

Along with the other methods mentioned above direct intervention against disease can be made by creating physical barriers to disease dispersal through the use of mulches.

Diseased plants and volunteers should always be removed and residues destroyed, in order to reduce disease reservoirs and prevent spread at the dispersal phase.

Proper composting, where a heap is turned inducing a temperature rise to 60 degrees centigrade will facilitate the destruction of disease propagules and spores. Green manuring, tilage, understories and use of rotations can also aid destruction of spores and prevent build up in the reproduction and maintenance stages.

These principles and strategies need to be applied throughout the whole crop production cycle, from seed through propagation and growing of the crop to harvesting and storage.

For more expert opinions on agribusiness and framing, Send your request:- info@ fituganda.com

37 May - June, 2014

THE MARKET Monthly Average Prices Compiled in partnership with Infotrade

MONTHY AVERAGE PRICES: MAY 01st -31st2014 North

East

West

Central

Commodity

Units

Values

Arua

Gulu

Lira

Soroti

Busia

Mbale

Kabale

Kasese

Mbarara

Masaka

Nakasero

Apple Bananas

kg

R.P

2,500

4,150

3,700

2,900

1,600

2,000

1,800

2,300

1,900

2,000

2,950

W.P

2,000

3,000

3,200

2,650

1,350

1,500

1,550

2,150

1,050

1,350

1,950

R.P

9,000

9,000

8,000

7,700

10,000

8,000

7,000

7,000

7,000

8,800

8,400

W.P

9,000

8,000

7,500

7,200

8,800

7,000

7,000

6,550

5,600

8,000

6,500

R.P

2,100

2,900

4,750

3,000

2,150

2,000

3,250

2,450

3,700

1,950

4,900

W.P

2,000

1,850

4,250

2,700

1,850

1,500

2,900

2,350

2,300

1,450

3,850

R.P

10,500

12,100

9,000

9,000

10,500

9,700

8,400

9,000

8,000

7,800

8,500

W.P

8,850

9,250

8,500

8,500

8,400

8,800

7,900

8,400

7,250

7,200

7,350

R.P

3,900

4,100

4,950

5,000

4,150

4,400

4,400

3,350

4,650

3,950

5,000

W.P

3,450

3,550

3,700

4,850

3,850

4,100

4,150

3,250

4,050

3,250

4,000

R.P

20,250

24,850

21,850

14,150

15,750

13,250

15,350

25,550

18,900

15,000

25,000

W.P

18,150

21,450

19,550

13,150

13,700

11,100

13,900

23,450

14,750

10,550

20,000

R.P

2,000

2,000

2,050

2,000

1,900

1,800

1,800

1,450

1,850

1,900

2,050

W.P

1,500

1,750

1,800

1,700

1,800

1,500

1,650

1,300

1,450

1,650

1,650

R.P

1,000

1,050

900

1,000

950

900

1,050

850

1,300

650

1,500

W.P

800

900

800

850

900

850

900

800

750

550

1,000

R.P

16,650

26,750

22,900

28,000

16,250

18,000

16,850

25,350

17,150

14,150

20,350

W.P

14,550

22,750

20,700

26,550

14,150

15,000

14,650

23,350

11,500

10,550

15,650

R.P

1,200

1,300

1,400

1,350

1,400

1,300

1,000

750

1,100

1,050

1,200

W.P

1,000

1,050

1,300

1,250

1,200

1,100

900

700

650

800

1,000

R.P

3,000

2,750

3,000

2,500

1,450

2,050

900

2,050

1,900

2,000

2,300

W.P

2,800

1,750

2,550

2,400

1,300

1,550

700

1,850

1,100

1,350

1,650

R.P

3,700

3,700

2,950

3,250

3,200

3,550

3,150

3,050

3,500

3,800

4,000

W.P

3,300

3,050

2,600

3,000

2,950

3,000

2,950

2,950

2,950

3,500

3,200

R.P

1,050

1,500

1,000

400

1,450

600

1,100

1,050

1,000

1,500

950

W.P

800

1,200

800

350

1,200

500

900

950

700

1,000

700

Beef

kg

Cavendish (Bogoya)

kg

Exotic Eggs

tray

Groundnuts

Local Chicken

Maize Flour

Maize Grain

Matooke

Milk

Pineapple

Super Rice

White fleshed Sweet Potatoes

kg

bird

kg

kg

Bunch

litre

whole

kg

kg

Key:- R.P- Retail price, W.P- Whole sale price K.g- Kilograme 38 May - June, 2014

To sponsor these pages, Call: +256 772 524165, +256

Trends

Data collection

Commodity prices Owino

Min

Maxm

4,500

2,300

1,600

4,150

4,000

1,700

1,050

3,200

8,700

7,000

10,000

7,300

5,600

9,000

4,650

1,950

4,900

2,500

3,650

1,450

4,250

2,000

8,000

7,800

12,100

1,500

7,000

7,000

9,250

4,200

3,350

5,000

3,750

3,250

4,850

16,700

13,250

25,550

13,700

10,550

23,450

2,000

1,450

2,050

1,500

1,300

1,800

1,000

650

1,500

750

550

1,000

28,300

14,150

28,300

23,700

10,550

26,550

1,450

750

1,450

1,250

650

1,300

1,800

900

3,000

1,350

700

2,800

3,500

2,950

4,000

3,000

2,600

3,500

1,050

400

1,500

800

350

1,200

Field officer called AMIAS (Agricultural Market Information Advisers) in every central market and border point where we do collect the prices from. AMIAS do collect commodity prices weekly i.e. three times in a week that is Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from 36 collection points refer to the table below:

Districts of coverage:

3,500 3,000

March April 2014 2014

May 2014

June 2014

Regions

Markets

Easternregion:-

Mbale,Soroti, Kapchorwa, Busia, Jinja,Kamuli

Central

Nakasero, Kalerwe, Owino, Masaka, Kiboga,Luwero, Mutukula, Kayunga

Northern

Arua, Gulu, Lira,Nwoya, Kitgum,Amuru, Abim , Koboko

Western

Isingiro, Kigumba, Mbarara, Fortportal, Kasese, Kisoro, Mpondwe Border ,Masindi, Kigumba

South western

Katuna, Kisoro, Kabale

Commodities Information is collected from a wide range of commodities as listed below:Apple Banana, Beans (Agwede, Namable, Yellow), Beef, Pork, Goat Meat, Cassava( Flour, Fresh , Fermented, Sundried), Chicken( Local , Exotic), Coffee( Arabica, Robusta), Un Processed Cotton, Cow Peas, Eggs( Local , Exotic), Fish(Nile Perch, Tilapia), Ground Nuts, Honey ( Processed and Un processed), Maize (Flour and Grain), Matooke( Bunch And Kilogram), Milk, Millet (Flour and Grain), Pineapple, rice(Kayiso, Super, Upland rice), Sim sim, Sorghum (Flour and Grain), Soya bean, Sun flower, Turkey, Vanilla Unprocessed.

Notes:The prices are average prices for the month of May as indicated above from 01 may -31 may 2014.

Key: Groundnuts Kayiso Rice Maize Flour Nambale Beans Super Rice

Fuel prices 3,800

3,600

3,400

FIT Uganda Ltd Promoting Innovation in Business Services

3,200

3,000

2,800

2,600

Key: Diesel Kerosene Petro

March April 2014 2014

May 2014

June 2014

The markets in the table above are representative of our collection points therefore for more information on daily prices of the above commodities to could reach us on Email: info@fituganda.com, Tel:- +256414 532 393, Toll free 080020855 To subscribe to the weekly prices on email:send your request to infotrade@fituganda.com To receive information on your phone send the request to 8555 e.g Coffee Masaka send to 8555

774 916019, +256 414 223 471, +256 200 902 012, +250 787 397 015

Opinion

Agripreneurs, Uganda’s new Entrepreneurs!

Leaving a well paying corporate job to go into farming is, often, tough decision and, for many a Ugandan, this may sound crazy, attracting scorn but that is exactly what Jeff Kimbugwe (not real names) did! From his savings, the 42 year-old acquired 25 acres of land in Mukono and is now into large scale agriculture. “Although I was earning a good pay, I was unhappy and dissatisfied with the daily routine of work,” Kimbugwe says. “But, now, I am seeing many opportunities ahead.”

Together with his wife, the couple has identified lucrative markets for their products in the neighboring schools, hospitals and supermarkets in Mukono and Kampala. “I am now looking at tapping into European markets to take advantage of specialty and niche markets,” he purrs.

L

ike Kimbugwe, Simon Isingoma (not real names), aged 44, also resigned his job two years ago and

By Enoth Mbeine, ventured into farming. Together with his wife, they managed to buy three acres of land in Nakawuka, Wakiso District where they are currently running a successful poultry project.

“I should have left my former job long time ago,” he says. “I have managed to turn my hobby into a cash making venture. I am enjoying what I am doing.”

There is a growing list of many such examples as Kimbugwe and Isingoma in Uganda today, than before. These people represent a new vision of dynamic and hopeful generation that is helping to change the face of agriculture in Many other new agricultural entrepreneurs Uganda. Call them agriculture are venturing into value addition through change agents! processing and packaging. Promoting value Many people, especially the addition not only enhances export competiyouth, associate the agriculture tiveness, but also helps farmers fetch high sector with stigma of poverty prices from their products than if they sold it and lack of education. However, in raw form, as many still do. farming is fast becoming attractive for people who have been working in corporate organizations as they are normally filled with ambition and drive.

“The agriculture sector is now ripe. Running a farm comes with a lot of fun. I feel that there is more security in running my own operations. I also now have more time for my family”, says Rosemary Namubiru, a farmer based in Kasangati, Wakiso who resigned from her NGO job three years ago.

Many other new agricultural entrepreneurs are venturing into value addition through processing and packaging. Promoting value addition not only enhances export competitiveness, but also helps farmers fetch high prices from their products than if they sold it in raw form, as many still do.

Some of the industries with value addition opportunities include; grains and their products, dairy and dairy

40 May - June, 2014

products, meat and meat products and coffee, among others. There are currently many private companies that have invested in production of quality seeds and fertilizers, food processing, establishment of agricultural market information systems e.g. INFOTRADE and financial products which are a perquisite for value addition.

Starting an agricultural enterprise, like other businesses, has its risks. For starters, agribusinesses are complex enterprises that integrate agricultural production, valueadded processing, packaging, distribution and marketing activities.

Thus, they entail greater risk than simple farming, and require specific skills and experience. The rewards are, however, immense especially with the current high demand of food in Uganda and the East African region.

So, are you planning retirement? Are you in a state of uncertainty at the workplace due to increasing number of lay-offs? Are you among the many employees who have become disenchanted with employers who are normally quick to let their peers go when the times are tough? You can use your current employment to mobilize savings and, together with the real world corporate experience, you can begin to plan joining this emerging trend when the time is ripe.

The Government, private sector and support agencies involved in agribusiness development should embrace this trend by vigorously taking on various initiatives to create access to opportunities for this new generation of entrepreneurs, agriprenuers!

This type of more business-oriented agriculture and the development of small agri-business sector is an important driver of food security, both at homestead and national levels, export expansion and hence economic growth and development.

Enoth Mbeine, Senior Consultant, Business Development Services- FIT Uganda Ltd enoth@fituganda.com

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