By Vision Reporter
Abbas Ssekajja has emerged the best farmer from Central Uganda (Kampala/Wakiso/Mukono) in the 2024 Vision Group Best Farmers’ competitions. He was recognised at the Best Farmers’ Awards at the Vision Group head offices this afternoon,
Turning a challenge into an opportunity is one route to establish a business. Sekajja took this route to deal with a challenge of bran generated at a mill be owned.
His enterprise, Sekajja Agro Farms Limited located at Buyuki village, Nama sub county in Mukono district started in 2016 as a sole proprietorship trading in rice and maize flour in Kitetika, along Gayaza Road in Wakiso district.
However, the business faced a challenge of bran disposal. He used to leave the bran, but it would rot and give off a foul odour and other times, he would burn it. This was not sustainable, Sekajja says. Thus, he researched and zeroed in on keeping poultry where the bran is a key feed ingredient.
In 2024, the business has three main enterprises that include the feed mill, commercial broiler farming, and abattoir supported by five major operations.
Over time, Sekajja says, there has been an increase in demand for their chicken and thus the number of out-growers have increased. In 2024, there were over 1,000 smallholder farmers spread across Kampala, Wakiso, Kampala, Mukono, and Luwero districts rearing 140,000 chicken each cycle of two months.
To ensure supply, he started the out-grower scheme that today has over 1,000 smallholder farmers, plays a vital role in the business’s operations. To ensure good returns, the company offers free technical advice from the company’s team of vet managers.
This partnership with the out-grower farmers is also a good way for the enterprise to give back to the community.
Ssekajja won because of his decision to slaughter and dress the chicken, but also sustaining a good out growers scheme. “Slaughtering and dressing the chicken ensures that he has a market for his produce. It also improves profitability,” the judges said.
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This is the ninth year running that Vision Group, together with the Embassy of the Netherlands, KLM Airlines, dfcu Bank and Koudijs Animal Nutrition, are running the Best Farmers competition. The 2024 competition run from March to November, culminating in today’s awards ceremony.
LEAD PHOTO CAPTION: Abbas Ssekajja receiving an award from Guid Stevens, the country manager Koudijs during the 2024 Best Farmers Awards event. Photos by Moses Nsubuga
