Venue ready for farmers

The gardens are in study shape, the main venue has been arranged to accommodate more than 1000 participants, the facilitators have already given hints of their comprehensive notes, and it cannot get any better.
The D-day of the Monitor Farm Clinic is upon us today and the expectations are soaring through the roof.

“We have done our best and improvised everything we cannot wait to meet our farmers’ hopes. The facilitators are ready to give farmers all the latest agribusiness trends,” says Dr Halid Kirunda, the Director of Research in the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), Heading Mbarara Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MBAZARDI).

Elizabeth Namaganda, the Monitor Publications brand assistant, adds that farmers should expect a different study environment and updated topics in Mbarara today.
“After thorough research, we have incorporated pertinent agribusiness topics like irrigation, seed values, suitable land management, post harvesting and farm marketing,” she says.

“We expected more than 1000 farmers and already we have about 600 participants from Soroti and Kampala that have confirmed to attend,” she said.
Namaganda says the demonstration farms are ready for the practical session which implies all the participants with get a ‘touch-feel’ moment in Mbarara.
Apart from sponsors Naro, Heifer and aBi, over 30 exhibitors have been lined to interact with farmers about farming inputs.

All enterprises to be extensively taught
Passion fruit expert John Bosco Muhumuza will enlighten the participants about the purple passion fruit and yellow passion fruit types and how to establish a commercial enterprise.
Muhumuza will also teach about seed extraction, plant seeding and grafting plus, spacing, pollination, fruit maturity and harvesting.

Geoffrey Beyihayo, a dairy expert will go into the nitty-gritty multi-nutrient dairy supplement. He will expound on low cost dairy supplement for increased milk yield, income, conception rate, health and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

Mango farmers will have the privilege of learning about orchard motoring for pests and diseases, management, modern pesticides by fruit expert, Dina Nabasumba.
Mbarara being the defacto ‘home’ of milk, the dairy enterprise will get an expensive coverage by combined brains, arguably the best in the country, comprising Irene Mbatidde, Kirunda, Moses Dhikusoka and Jeremiah Natuherwa.

Sponsors eager to meet farmers
According to William Matovu, the Heifer International country director, the farm clinic is the ultimate platform for the farmers to learn and get farmers connecting with input suppliers.

“These Clinics act as platform to farmers to get a wide range of information to improve on their farm enterprises. To us they are the vehicle of sharing our long experience in dairy farming,” Matovu revealed.

“The theme of this year’s farm clinic campaign is; “climate smart agriculture” is in line with our Green Growth Strategy and climate smart interventions, that we hope to showcase during the farm clinics,” says George Mutagubya, the Advocacy & Communications Manager aBi Trust.

Facilitators
Dr Peace Kankwasa – Cassava
John Bosco Muhumuza – Passion Fruits
Dr Moses Dikhusooka – Dairy Health
Dr Irene Mbatidde – Dairy Hygiene
Geoffrey Beyihayo – Dairy Nutrition and Pasture
Dina Nabasumba – Mangoes
Amos Aturinda – Maize
Shedrach Muhangi – Bananas
Daniel Mineno – Beans
John Ssendawula – Land management
Halid Kirunda – Supervisor/ lead facilitator

Seeds of Gold Farm Clinic
Venue: Mbarara Zonal Agricultural Research And
Development Institute (MBAZARDI), Mbarara
Date: Saturday May 26, 2018
THEME: climate Smart Farming
ENTERPRISES: Dairy, Banana, Passion fruits, Cassava, Beans, Mango and Maize
TOPICS: Seeds & varieties, Post-harvest handling, Value addition, Sustainable Land Management (SLM) & Economics
ENTRANCE: Free