By Joshua Kato
Over 700 school children from mainly the elite list of schools across the country gathered at Gayaza High School for the annual schools’ farm camp.
You could see the love, the passion and enthusiasm expressed by the learners. These are the future of agriculture in the country. In the last 10 years since the inception of the farm camp, thousands of students have been inducted into the sector.
Hopefully, in the next five years, we shall see an increase in elite farmers thanks to the school camp. The work of some of these schools to promote agriculture does not go unrecognised.
For example, during the 2023 Best Farmers Competition awards ceremony, Gayaza High School and Iganga SS were recognised for their efforts in promoting food and agriculture in schools.
Gayaza is the host of the annual schools’ farm camp. Started in 2014, the camp is the largest gathering of teenagers purposely to discuss farming.
This is important because Uganda is a largely young population that nevertheless depends on agriculture for survival.
Schools spend about 50% of their annual budgets on buying food for the students.
This means that if they encourage their students to put what they learn at the camp into practice, some of these expenses can be reduced. Schools can easily engage in productive agriculture.
LEAD PHOTO CAPTION: Students at Gayaza High School during the school farm camp. Photo Herbert Musoke
