By Joshua Kato
It all starts at the main gate, and as your eyes wonder around the entire farm, you see well-maintained gardens of various vegetables including tomatoes, green pepper, cauliflower, lettuce, eggplants, cabbages, watermelon, cucumber, sukumawiki and carrots.
Beyond the vegetables are pig houses that hold at least 200 pigs and local chicken.
The farm, sitting on about six acres near Magigye, after Kabanyoro on the Gayaza-Zirobwe road is a model, especially for farmers who wish to practice urban farming.
The owner, Aloysius Lubega is one of the best farmer’s winners for 2018. The vegetable gardens were planted in small plots-some as small as 10x2metres.
“This is to demonstrate that you can actually grow vegetables on any size of land,” says Lubega.
Lubega explains that while many urban dwellers spend a lot of money on vegetables, here they are showing them that they can grow these vegetables.
The farm has organized an urban farm tour for holidaymakers and their parents on December 14. The visitors will be trained in urban and commercial vegetable farming, pig keeping and local chicken management.
“On average, an urban home spends about sh4,000 everyday on vegetables. However, as you can see across all these demonstrations, these urbanites can grow them,” Lubega says.
One of the 10×2 metre plots has at least 50 plants of tomatoes. Lubega says that with each plant producing about 20 fruits per season, this makes about 1,500 fruits in two months.
“That is too much for a single home to consume. It means that in addition to have enough tomatoes at home, the homestead can sell some to the neighbours,” Lubega says.
Therefore, if a homestead has similar plots of eggplants, green peppers, cabbages, and cucumbers, it can easily add to the family income.
There is a market
He explains that for any farmer to benefit more, they should first understand the market they are growing for such that they grow because the market for vegetables is wide, right from the neighbourhood, markets like Nakasero, St. Balikuddembe, Nakawa, Kalerwe to supermarkets with each having different demands.
However, there are other specialized vegetable varieties that have higher market prices that those who aim to make quick money should go for like spinach, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower and beetroot. Bulamu Mixed Farm has got them too.
Lubega says that such varieties are not commonly demanded by an average Ugandan but have markets with restaurants, hotels and foreign markets for exports.
“These vegetables are a delicacy for people who are watching their diet, for example, those aiming to lose weight, because they are part of healthy eating habits,” he says.
He adds that these vegetables grow faster within 2-3 months and they will be ready for harvest and you will have money in your pocket.
Cauliflower: Is one of the species in the cabbage family. It matures between 60-65 days and only the white flesh head called curd is eaten. An acre takes about 12,500 plants with each going for between sh1,000 and sh2,000 which means one can earn between sh4m-sh5m.
Broccoli: Is a cool-season crop. It has functional flower buds which are harvested and eaten. It matures between 50-65 days and its head weighs between 800gms and 1kg selling between sh1, 500 and sh2, 000.
Lettuce: This comes in two varieties; iceberg and soft leaf lettuce and is commonly consumed as salads as well as side dishes. This is sold in kilograms where a 50kg sack goes for between sh25, 000 and sh35, 000.
LEAD PHOTO CAPTION: Aloysius Lubega in his cabbage garden.
