Farm Clinic to increase productivity in northeastern Uganda

Hundreds of farmers from northeastern Uganda on June 29 flocked Ngetta Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Ngetta ZARDI), Lira City, to attend Nation Media Group’s (NMG) Seeds of Gold Farm Clinic.

Participants said they were taken through five major enterprises which can help increase agricultural production and productivity, boost household income and reduce household poverty.

The enterprises included aquaculture, dairy, rice, soya beans and cassava, and the training was aimed to equip the participatory farmers with new skills and knowledge on how they can manage their farm productions and records.

Seeds of Gold Farm Clinic is a collaboration between NMG, the National Agriculture Research Organisation (NARO) and several partners including; Bank of Uganda, Stanbic Bank and Heifer International.

Mr Thompson Aguma, a farmer who who ventured in fish and dairy farming enterprises from Bar Sub-county in Lira District, said the knowledge he attained from the farm clinic training will help him improve on his productivity.

“We were taught how to improve the quality of our cattle. So, when I go back, I will tell my colleagues who missed this opportunity to come next time for the same so that they also benefit just like how we have benefited,” he said.

Ms Petra Adong, another farmer from Kwania District, thanked NMG and partners for the intervention.

“Like from the cassava enterprise training, we leant that the cassava that people often complain about its bitterness is not because it’s bad but just because we keep planting it repeatedly without cleaning the stems,” she said.

“With this training, I will be able to have good cassava varieties to sell to other farmers. So, I am appealing to the farmers who missed this engagement to always rotate their gardens while farming, carry out research and engage experts on the varieties they intend to plant,” she added.

Ms Adong further said they were also encouraged to plant soya beans, and taken through how to choose quality seedlings, manage the pests and diseases that attack it.

Mr Frank Mugabe, the head of communications at NARO told this publication that during the farmers’ Farm Clinic, a number of farmers were trained with technologies of 360 degrees, which begins right from preparing the field, planting, harvesting, handling and value addition.

“For example, we had a Sacco that has over 20 acres of cassava garden and their question was what they are going to do with this cassava after harvest. So, we have told them that we have developed technology where cassava can be used in the confectionary sector,” he said.

Mr Mugabe added: “You can make bread, cookies, flour and other products. So, they were very excited and impressed to know that there are these options that they can do and the technology can help it do value addition.”

Head of communications at NARO said these technologies are affordable to many farmers, appropriate and work as any machine imported from any country.

“So, we want them to take on these machines and join that money economy in the agricultural sector,” Mr Mugabi said.

The Director Ngetta ZARDI, Dr Laban Turyagenda, said: “We are happy with the turn up of these farmers for this farm clinic training because they are exposed to new technologies. I know they are going to go back, organise themselves and come back either as individuals or as groups to learn the technologies in detail.”

Dr Turyagenda is optimistic that with the new skills that the farmers have attained, their productivity will be increased, thus improving their livelihoods.

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