By: Prossy Nandudu
Iganga Secondary School (SS) has been declared the winner of this year’s 9th annual school farm camp, which has been taking place at Gayaza High School.
The school has been recognised with a bull for exhibiting the value chain of a pineapple plant, from production to value-added products in addition to managing its waste like the peelings.
For a student project to emerge the best, the project was supposed to have environmental conservation aspects, economic viability, sustainability and organisation, among others, according to the judges who were led by the chairperson board Rossette Lubwama Keba.
Tororo Girls School emerged as first runners-up, while Busoga College Mwiri and MST Junior School emerged third and fourth, respectively in the exhibition that attracted 800 students from 40 schools including primary.
Consider agriculture as a source of employment
While handing over the heifer, Dr Michael Katurebe, the country director of Norbrook, a veterinary pharmaceutical company, called on students to consider agriculture as a decent form of employment.
He also pledged to support Iganga SS with all the support as far as the health of the heifer is concerned for the school to become second to Gayaza High as a model agriculture school.
The camp that kicked off five days ago, under theme “Exploring entrepreneurial opportunities along the Agriculture value chain” was organized by Gayaza High School with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) AVSI foundation, Fields of Life, Fields of Hope, Movit Products, NUCAFE, Sumz, Bake for me among others.
According to Patrick Muhinda the school farm camp coordinator, the camp was aimed at equipping students with entrepreneurial skills by adding value to agriculture.
Some of the skills that students were exposed to include fruit juice making, yoghurt making, different types of coffee drinks and making crisps from bananas, plantain and potatoes among others.
