Seeds of Gold to sprout in the Albertine region

Banking on his 25 years of agricultural research, Dr Sylvester Dickson Baguma, with a tinge of excitement and optimism, reveals BulindiZARDI is more than prepared to host the groundbreaking agribusiness learning moment on July 7.
“We are more than ready to host the first ever Farm Clinic where farmers, processors, marketers and other stakeholders in the Albertine districts will get a chance to interact,” says Dr Baguma in an interview.
Baguma added; “Several exhibitors will showcase their technologies for improved farming practices ranging from land preparation, planting, and water for production, harvesting, value addition and marketing. We have lined up the best resource persons or trainers for each of the key enterprises. Those who will attend the farm clinic will leave to remember the day as it is going to be a life changing event.”

Who is Dr Baguma?
The BulindiZARDI director holds a Master’s degree in Agriculture from Makerere University, a Master’s degree in Management Information Systems from Canfield University - UK and a PhD in Knowledge Management from Loughborough University in UK.
Baguma says the Hoima institute can handle more than 1000 farmers - ranging from starters to progressive commercial farmers. The Farm Clinic, he predicts, will also be useful to students, processors, marketers, policy makers and NGOS.
Despite the booming oil production and infrastructure in the region, Dr Baguma maintains agribusiness is the backbone of Bunyoro.
“We have not started exploiting the oil. Our people in Bunyoro have been and will still depend on agriculture. Oil is a recent discovery. Farmers are advised to uptake technologies that can exploit and target the oil market in the Albertine region. This ranges from different crops such as high yielding maize, beans, bananas, and quality dairy products including milk and yoghurt, quality honey and its products,” he says.

Climate smart farming
Like it has been the custom in Mbarara, Kabanyolo and Soroti, Climate smart farming will be the main theme in Hoima and the experts have hinged their lecturers on it.
“Climate change is one of the biggest challenges experienced in the region. Our research scientists have developed climate smart technologies and farmers have been advised to embrace climate smart farming by using seed that is resistant to harsh climatic conditions. They should also embrace sustainable land management - SLM practices among the best technologies that can help in retaining water in soils,” Dr Baguma explains.
“Adapting dry season feeding for livestock is a good technology for improved livestock amidst climatic changes. I urge farmers and all those who derive income from farming related activities to turn up in big numbers. They will live to harvest from their investment,” he added.
Baguma believes that at the end of the day, the Farm Clinic will have offered a platform for new technologies that will improve on food, income and nutrition security for the people of the Albertine region.
“I am convinced that the knowledge acquired from this farm clinic will make our people ready to transform their households through improved incomes. More so, it will contribute to making them ready to feed the oil industry in the Albertine region,” Dr Baguma says.

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The demonstration farms, bee hives and fish ponds facilities are ready to give the participants the best practical lessons as they learn the enterprises of bananas, maize, rice, cassava, piggery, fish, apiary (honey, wax &venom) and cattle (beef and dairy).
The major farming challenges in the region like pests and diseases, expensive credit facilities with related stringent requirements to getting them, climate change, long dry spells and unpredictable weather, poor quality of seed supplied by some traders, Inadequate seed of improved varieties, poor market information and inadequate mechanisation will all be provided with lasting remedies.

Save the date
Saturday, July 7, 2018
Bulindi Zonal Agricultural Research Development Institute (BulindiZARDI) in Hoima District
Enterprises
Bananas
Maize, Rice,
Cassava,
Piggery, Fish,
Apiary and Cattle