The seventh edition of the Vision Group’s Harvest Money expo kicked off yesterday at the Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala. The three-day exhibition themed Farming as a business-Post-harvest Handling and Value Addition that is ending tomorrow on February 12, did not only attract hundreds of farmers and exhibitors but also children. Kellen Owente talked to some of the children
Jericho Ssejjemba, a Primary Six pupil at Kidde Primary School
I was very happy when mummy told me this morning that we were going for an agricultural expo in Kololo. I came specifically to see animals, especially rabbits and how to manage them. This is because I plan on starting to rear them in my Primary Seven vacation. Since childhood, I have had a passion for rabbits and so when I told my mother towards the end of last year, she promised that she would take me to the biggest agricultural expo in Uganda, where I can find a variety of farmers and have a chance to interact with them.I am now proceeding to the tent and hope to learn so much about what one needs to manage them and make money through rearing them.
Seith Pambala, a Primary Three learner from Kingsway Primary School, Entebbe
I came here today with my dad and two siblings. Personally, my love for farming originates from love for being outside and so being here makes me so happy because I get to see different things like animals, products, innovations.
Angel Nakatte, a Primary Five pupil at Brighton Junior School, Bweyogerere
I have already made two friends and was surprised to find that young people are here because I thought they find farming boring. We discussed what other products a cow can produce other than milk and how to make money out of them. I learnt that ice cream, cakes, butter, yoghurt, cheese are all products of a cow. I now know that one can make so much money from just one cow.
Jeremiah Sseruyange, a Primary Six at Kitante Primary School
Today, I have learnt how to make fish ponds for fish farming. I thought that fish only lives in lakes and oceans. I was excited to learn that you can dig yourself a good pond, lay a liner in it, fill it with water, secure the liner and position the rocks which will give you a good pond to keep the fish. Today, I have known that anyone who is really interested in fish farming has the ability to venture into a business and make money out of it.
Some of the children who came to the expo yesterday. All photos by Shamim Saad