By Richard Ategeka
Farmers across the region are tasked with preserving pastures to reduce feed wastage, enhance animal productivity, and ensure a profitable farming venture.
With a theme focused on farming as a business, value addition, and cooperatives, farmers who attended the Harvest Money Expo in Namboole were tipped on how to thrive in a business that is not taken seriously.
Asiimwe Jolly Busingye, manager at Itungo Pastures, said that farmers should consider using different equipment like silage-cutting choppers for post-harvest to prevent feed wastage.
She also stressed the importance of educating farm teams through training sessions, such as those held at their farm every Saturday.
“We take farmers to pasture establishments so that they can properly feed their animals and increase yields,” she added.
Busingye also offered an entrepreneurial opportunity for landowners, encouraging them to consider growing pastures as a business and selling hay for a steady income.
“Starting with pasture establishment can be a lucrative venture,” she said, encouraging aspiring farmers to get started as early as possible.
One of the biggest challenges Busingye highlighted among pasture farmers is the lack of awareness about pasture seeds.
Many farmers don’t realise that pasture seeds exist, which is a major barrier to effective livestock farming.
“We have a future in pasture growing,” she emphasized. “The majority of farmers in Uganda are into livestock farming, and all animals feed on pastures. Establishing pastures should be the first step before introducing animals,” she elaborated.
Tackling livestock health issues
Moses Bogere, a livestock advisor at SNV, provided insight into the challenges farmers face, particularly in disease control.
“Farmers often rear livestock on a subsistence basis, using rudimentary methods that lead to low productivity and poor yields,” he noted.
One of the key issues is disease outbreaks that can affect entire villages. “Disease control is essential,” he said. “Farmers can learn how to manage these issues through awareness, isolation practices, and hygiene, even killing sick animals to prevent the spread.”
At the Expo, farmers had the opportunity to learn directly from experts, with various stalls dedicated to livestock health, breed management, and record keeping. “The Expo is a learning platform,” Bogere explained. “Farmers can move from one stall to another, gaining practical knowledge to implement on their farms.”
The expo is sponsored by Engsol, Tunga Nutrition, UCD, Pepsi, and Bella Wines in partnership with New Vision and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
