By Robert Adiga
For the ninth year running, Vision Group, together with the Embassy of the Netherlands, KLM Airlines, dfcu Bank and Koudijs Nutrition BV, is running the Best Farmers Competition. The 2024 competition runs from April to November, with the awards in December. Every week, Vision Group platforms will publish profiles of the farmers. Winners will walk away with sh150m and a fully paid-for trip to the Netherlands.
Violet Nyakuru is an innovative farmer. From what looks like garbage and pig droppings, she processes indigenous micro-organisms (IMO), a substance used to clean, fertilise soils and kill pests.
Nyakuru, the proprietor of Lowe’s Demo Farm, earns millions of shillings from the production of a low-cost IMO, which demonstrates that value addition on the farm can be achieved even without expensive machinery.
Located 11.6km east of Arua city, the undulating hills surrounding the magnificent Oluko Waterfalls provide a breathtaking ambiance for party-goers and tourists.
One kilometre from the famous Oluko Falls, just on the right side of the road, are structures housing the little-known, but innovative Lowe’s Demo Farm.
The two-year-old farm sits on five acres in Oyufi Cell, Oluko Ward, Ayivu East division in Arua city.
How Lowe’s farm started
Lowe’s Demo Farm was started by Nyakuru, 33, with the help of her spouse, Neckion Guma. The farm is predominantly known for IMO production, a practice overlooked by a number of farmers in the region.
It has also ventured into other enterprises, such as piggery, goat rearing, poultry and horticulture. The farm operates commercially, targeting hotels, tourists, local governments, industries, and retail outlets both within Uganda and in neighbouring countries, especially the DR Congo and South Sudan.
“This farm is now three years old. We considered many options of earning money, but we focused on farming because it is where people get food. You can’t go wrong. It is where you have the products and the market is ready because the population is ever increasing,” Nyakuru explains.
Motivation
Nyakuru says they were motivated to start IMO production after visiting a farmer friend in Kayunga. Initially focused on piggery, they wanted to do something unique on their farm.
“The farmer in Kayunga advised us to use IMO, but since it was not common, it would be expensive to buy from Kayunga. We invited the farmer to teach us how to make it. The first batch we created was 100 litres and it worked wonders. We started marketing it outside Arua and now we supply the branded product to farmers as far as the DR Congo,” Nyakuru says.
“Arua, being at the border of two different countries, has good market, which is why we started the farm. Right now, we are already earning from the IMO and other enterprises,” she says.
Nyakuru adds: “Currently, we are earning sh5m a month, but we anticipate that it could exceed sh50m, if everything goes according to plan in the next five years.”
IMO Production Nyakuru says IMO is a unique product that farmers have yet to adopt. She believes they are doing something distinctive that sets their farm apart.
“It is a solution that can be used for cleaning animal shelters; it is a smell-free solution. Since we have pigs, we use it to clean their sty and for their drinking water, as it helps stimulate their appetite, which is where we generate our income,” Nyakuru explained.
‘‘IMO is a recent innovation. This solution uses locally available materials made from starch derived from cassava and potatoes. We create it by burying the mixture in the soil for one week, then removing it and hanging it on a tree for another week to collect outside micro-organisms. It is a magic solution for farms since it is smell-free and fly-free,” Nyakuru explains.
She notes that other advantages of IMO include serving as an appetite stimulant for pigs and poultry, boosting their immunity and being useful for spraying the areas where pigs and poultry are housed.
“This is the solution all farmers need to keep their farms disease-free and odour-free,” Nyakuru added.
IMO can be made from organic materials with the addition of sugar and water.
“Micro-organisms do not need to be added, because they already exist in the organic materials used, including bacteria, yeast and fungi. Using perishable organic matter speeds up the formation of IMO,” Nyakuru says.
Capacity and earning
Nyakuru says from the 100 litres of IMO they produced two years ago, after spending only sh25,000 on potatoes, sugar, millet and sorghum flour, they can now make up to 1,000 litres every month, which has become a cash cow for their farm.
“Every litre of IMO we sell goes for sh5,000. So, from the 1,000 litres we produce for sale, we earn about sh5m on a monthly basis,” she says.
Nyakuru adds that with the current demand coming from various farmers in West Nile and the DR Congo, they plan to increase their production from the current 1,000 litres to at least 3,000 litres per month.
Other enterprises
Piggery
In 2022, before considering IMO, Nyakuru and her husband started a small-scale piggery farm. This venture has since expanded, and what began with only nine piglets now boasts of over 40 pigs.
Goat Rearing
Goat rearing is another enterprise at Lowe’s Demo Farm. Although the goat project started a few months ago, the farm now has 30 goats.
The goats also benefit from the IMO project, as it is used for washing them and providing drinking water, which helps increase their appetite.
Greenhouse
Vegetable growing has been a key enterprise on the farm, even before the establishment of the greenhouse. Since 2022, the farm has produced large quantities of tomatoes and green peppers in the greenhouse.
Family Involvement/Sustainability
Nyakuru says all family members, including children, are familiar with the farming practices, especially the production of IMO.
“The farm started out of passion and we began it as a family. My spouse is actively involved whenever he is off work in the evenings and weekends, while the children help during holidays. They know everything taking place on the farm and their involvement supports sustainability. Even if I were to pass away now, the farm would continue to thrive,” Nyakuru says. Education Background
Nyakuru is a social worker by profession, but coming from a family that embraced agriculture motivated her to venture into farming, instead of pursuing a white-collar job.
She has undergone training in various farm-related enterprises, including the production of IMO, piggery, poultry and greenhouse management.
“I have also employed professionals to manage key aspects of the farm, which helps us learn best practices. Now, we operate like professionals,” Nyakuru says.
Income Levels
“IMO, being the backbone of the farm, is the cash cow that sustains our activities. Annually, we earn a net of sh30m from IMO alone. From piggery, we had one sale and made sh10m, while we have sold only eight goats so far for sh3m,” Nyakuru estimates.
She added that another successful venture has been the greenhouse, where she produces tomatoes year-round, earning about sh15m annually from tomato sales.
Social Impacts Currently, Lowe’s Demo Farm employs four permanent staff and provides opportunities for over 20 unskilled labourers from the local community on a daily basis.
“We pay casual labourers based on the quantity and time they work, ranging from sh5,000 to sh10,000. The permanently employed staff earn between sh150,000 and sh500,000,” Nyakuru noted.
According to Nyakuru, the farm is also feeding the local community by selling various products, such as green vegetables and engaging in social corporate responsibility.
Additionally, the farm has become a training ground for many aspiring farmers interested in IMO production.
Bio-Security measures
There is restricted access to the farm, especially the piggery section, which has helped mitigate the spread of diseases.
Nyakuru says no one can access the piggery without disinfecting using IMO, which has been placed at the door. Fire lines have also been drawn around the farm to avert fire eventualities.
“Ever since we brought the pigs, they have never been infected with diseases,” Nyakuru says.
Targeted market
Nyakuru mentions that currently, the crops harvested from the farm are being sold to local farmers and consumers within Arua city and the West Nile region.
“As we continue to market our products, they will go beyond the borders. We will ensure that our products are of good quality,” she stated.
Achievements
The farm has managed to raise permanent structures for piggery and semi-permanent structures for goats from profits from the IMO.
The farm has also acquired a pickup truck for deliveries within the region and trained staff on management skills.
“Motorcycles have also been purchased for the farm manager and we have acquired two more acres of land for expansion. Most importantly, the farm is helping to pay school fees for the children and other relatives.”
Record keeping
Nyakuru believes that record keeping is a system used for tracking what has been done, and as such, she takes note of every activity taking place on the farm.
“We have an accountant who is responsible for every transaction and sale on the farm, while we also opened separate books for different activities,” she says.
Future prospects
Nyakuru says they have already demarcated land for setting up fish ponds because the farm is gifted with a natural source of water that can feed the ponds throughout the year.
She says they have also established commercial woodlots on the farm as a long-term money-generating enterprise and intend to construct a multi-purpose hall to offer trainings at a fee. Nyakuru is optimistic that in five years’ time, they will be making sh100m a month from all the enterprises set up on the farm.
Challenges
Violet Nyakuru says setting up the farm has been financially stressful.
“We are doing this as a family and have so far invested more than sh100m, which is not an easy feat,” Nyakuru says.
She adds: “We have not yet fenced the farm. There are aspects of the farm that are sensitive, especially the pigs. People should not access the area indiscriminately due to potential diseases.”
Nyakuru says lack of electricity remains a challenge, which affects other value-added components, such as the production of tomato paste, pork joints and chilli sauce.
What others say
Comfort Driwaru, 27
The farm has helped me acquire skills in IMO production. I have started teaching my family members so they can apply the knowledge on chicken rearing.
Patrick Driwale, Maracha
I was promoted from a casual worker to a full-time employee of the farm. I have bought three goats in my village and the skills I attain here are helping me plan for my future.
Neckion Guma, Nyakuru’s husband
I try my best to support my wife to see that the farm takes the right direction. We are only waiting for reliable electricity. I am confident my wife’s effort will pay off.
Lowe’s Demo Farm is becoming the face of Arua city in terms of innovation and management.
LEAD PHOTO CAPTION: Nyakuru uses garbage and pig droppings to processes indigenous micro-organismS, a substance used to clean, fertilise soils and kill pests.
