FAO UGANDA Information Bulletin Transforming Dairy Farming from Lack of Market, Farmers Grapple with Growing Demand for Milk in Kisoro District

FAO UGANDA 4 Issue 11 Volume

April - June 2012 Information Bulletin

Improving food security in cross-border districts of Kabale, Kisoro and Kasese

Funded by;

Inside 3 Transforming Dairy Farming 8 Farmers sustain lucrative market for “Irish” potatoes 14 Budding honey production 23 Northern Uganda farmers get 2.3 Tonnes of seeds 24 Revitalizing Community Animal Health in Karamoja FAO UGANDA 1 Information Bulletin Editorial

Dear Reader, welcome to the ernment of Italy that gener- second issue of the FAO Ugan- ously provided the USD 9 mil- da Information Bulletin in lion for the regional project, of 2012. which, USD 1.8 million was al- located to Uganda. In 2003, the Governments of Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda, We also appreciate the District agreed to cooperate with FAO Local Governments of Kabale, under its Global Food Security Kisoro and Kasese the Ministry and Food Safety Trust Fund of Agriculture, Animal Indus- through leading to the develop- try and Fisheries, the National ment of a project - Improve- Agricultural Advisory Services ment of food security in (NAADS), service providers cross border districts of and implementing partners. Burundi, Democratic Re- Last but not least, the farm- public of Congo, Rwanda ers have contributed their own and Burundi in 2007. resources, time and taken on the taught and recommended The objective of the project is practices. to increase incomes and living standards of the small rural The journey to transform the householders in the cross-bor- lives of the communities in this der districts of the beneficiary south western part of Uganda countries through more prof- is not over yet. FAO has piloted itable agricultural production the concept of value chain ap- systems, increased market ac- proach to development with cess and value-added activi- about 3,500 families. ties. In Uganda, the project is But seeing the positive results, being implemented in Kabale, the demand for the same ser- Kisoro and Kasese districts ad- vices is growing, even beyond dressing the dairy, honey, seed the targeted districts. and ware potatoe and mango and pineapple value chains. We therefore hope that development partners will, after This Bulletin focuses on the reading these success stories progress made in the imple- consider supporting more mentation of this project in farmers with or without FAO. Uganda. We have also featured stories of beneficiaries as well Besides these, the Bulletin has as the views of development also captured some events and partners and Government of- news for the period April to ficials. June. The success stories that have Happy reading been highlighted cannot be at- Clean seed, important in tributed to FAO alone but to a improving potato production fruitful collaboration that has Rachel Nandelenga Information/Reporting/Communica- FAO supports the generation and diffusion and continues to propel the of potatoe seeds project. Most importantly, we tion Officer recognise the donor – the Gov- [email protected]

2 FAO UGANDA Information Bulletin Transforming Dairy Farming From lack of market, farmers grapple with growing demand for milk in Kisoro District

A graduate of food processing and technol- again between 5:00pm and 7:00pm. ogy, James Emmanuel Agaba has become Agaba says whereas he does not get many accustomed to his routine and enjoys it. He cases of milk adulteration, the cases of mas- arrives at Rubuguri Diary Farmers’ Associa- titis are on the increase and everyday, one tion’s office in Kisoro district at 6:30am to or two farmers are disappointed when their prepare to receive farmers who start flocking milk is rejected. in to make milk deliveries at about 7:00am. It does not matter if it is a weekend or public As a result, in addition to the formal training holiday, a rainy or sunny day because cows that FAO provides in animal husbandry and are milked everyday. milk handling, Agaba takes time to sensitize farmers about milk handling. “Sometimes milk goes bad because the farmers keep it in plastic containers that are not properly washed”, he says. In most cases though, having a day’s delivery rejected seems bad enough punishment for many farmers who eventually improve their practices. The 3,000 litre milk cooler at the office, worth USD 24,000 was provided by FAO to the Rubuguri Dairy Farmers Association (RUDFA) to improve milk collection and storage in 2010, a challenge that had been identified at the commencement of the project in 2009. Started in 2007, the group’s main objective is to reduce malnutrition, increase soil fer-  James Emmanuel tility and increase farmers’ income. Agaba; In He receives each farmer’s milk and carries addition to the out tests such as the alcohol test to check formal training Most of the members used to harvest and provided by FAO, the multiplication of microorganisms in the sell honey from Bwindi impenetrable na- he sensitizes farmers about milk milk and the presence of mastitis and the tional park but stopped when the park was handling lactometer test that checks for adulteration gazetted. They thus resolved to engage in di- (purity) of the milk. ary farming. This goes on until 10:00am and then he up- According the Association’s Vice Chairman, dates his records, cleans the utensils, reads Mr. Wilberforce Mucunguzi, initially, the a book or dashes back home for a short members had a few cows that each produced break before he opens up to receive milk Cont’d next page

FAO UGANDA 3 Information Bulletin From previous page

about 10 liters of milk per day. of milk per day but currently However, they faced many more processes only 17,000 litres, 90 challenges. percent of which comes from Ntungamo a neighboring district. “We did not have a stable market According to the Administrator, for the milk and often, a lot of Ms. Dora Mugisha, Birunga Di- milk went to waste or was sold at ary Industries would be happy to very low prices”, he said. get more milk from Kisoro dis- The price of milk within the com- trict because it would be cheaper munity was a miserable UGX but under the circumstances, 200 per litre (less than 1 cent) they will continue to import milk and sometimes dropping to UGX from outside the district. 100 (less than 1 cent) in times of Market for the milk is therefore plenty. In addition, being over not a challenge anymore. In fact, 25km up the rolling hills from diary farmers in Kisoro and the Kisoro town in Southwestern neighboring Kabale districts have Uganda, another challenge was a challenge of first, meeting the transportation. demand at Birunga Diary Indus- “It was very difficult to transport tries that plans to venture into milk to Kisoro town on bicycles cheese and yoghurt once it out- individually because it would paces the current supply gap. The take a whole day of travel and Industry also offers an attractive many times the milk would go price of UGX 400 (2 cents) per bad”, says Mucunguzi. litre, twice the amount that was offered within the community. Addressing trans- In fact, as a result of these interventions, the price of milk in the port challenge same community has soared up To mitigate the transportation as well. It first doubled to UGX challenge, FAO provided the As- 400 (2 cents) equalizing the price sociation with an offer of 50 per- at Birunga Dairy Industries; lat- The Milk Cooler cent contribution to purchase a er it increase to UGX 600, (2.4 truck and within a few months, cents) and now the price oscil- the group raised their contribu- lates up to UGX 800 (3.2 cents). tion of USD 10,000. In 2010, The money is wired directly to FAO fulfilled the pledge of USD each farmer’s bank account at the 10,000 and the truck was pur- end of every month. chased the same year. Resolute to meet Marketing current and growing FAO also helped link the Associa- demand; farmers tion to Birunga Dairy Industries in the periphery of Kisoro town acquire more heifers where they supply about 18,000 Rubuguri Diary farmers are not litres of milk worth UGX 7 mil- taking the challenge to meet the lion (USD 2,800)every month. current demand for milk sitting

Birunga Diary Industries pro- down. Their immediate plan is to Processed milk at Birunga Dairy Industries cesses, packs and markets Ultra increase the production of milk. Heat Treated (UHT) milk, called To achieve this, they have em- Highland Milk to many parts barked on acquiring more dairy of Uganda, Burundi, Sudan, cows and are striving to improve Rwanda, and Democratic Repub- their animal husbandry practices lic of Congo. The industry has a in order to improve milk produc- capacity to process 34,000 litres tion.

4 FAO UGANDA Information Bulletin They also contacted the Gov- by Africa Strategic Resource ernment’s National Agri- Services and Development cultural Advisory Services (AFRISA), Makerere Univer- (NAADS) that gave them 47 sity’s institute under the Col- heifers with a promise of an lege of Veterinary Medicine additional 10. that functions as a centre of excellence and a platform for Impressed with their efforts, production, development and the President of Uganda, His employment. Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni also gave the Asso- ciation UGX 20 million (USD On the road to 8,000) that they used to purchase 20 heifers in 2011. eradicate poverty Whereas working with a On 17th April 2012, FAO also community to improve their donated 20 crossed breed livelihood and eradicate pov- heifers to the Association. erty is no simple mean, once To date, the Association has the current challenges are 186 crossed heifers and 154 addressed, milk production local Ankole or Zebu cows. would continue to turn this The Association has also community around, enabling widened its scope to encour- many more farmers to earn UGX 20 million (USD 8,000) The truck has enabled farmers to transport their age other diary farmers from milk more efficiently neighboring Sub Counties to per annum as advocated by bring milk to the cooler. the Government in the national development plans. Livestock Currently, average monthly income for farmers var- management and ies with the lowest earning diseases about UGX 100,000 (USD 2,500)and highest UGX 1.7 Despite the impressive per- million(USD 680). formance, all is not rosy. The farmers are evidently do- Livestock diseases, especially ing their best and are willing Brucellosis remain a big hin- to go even an extra mile to drance to their progress. realize their dreams. Already, Initially, FAO signed a mem- they have acquired a plot of orandum of understand- land on which they plan to ing with NAADS to provide build their offices as well as extension services to the a shelter for the milk cooler dairy farmers. However, and other value addition this would not be sufficient equipment. since NAADS could only post Impressed with their deter- one extension worker for mination, a well established the whole Sub County, who dairy farmer in the commu- would also attend to all the nity, Mr. Francis Rugunda other farmers. After discus- recently donated an exotic sions with the farmers and bull to the Association to help Kisoro district leaders, it was to enhance their crossbreed- agreed that a community ing programme as they strive based system would be the to improve the breeds of their best option. Resultantly, 20 cattle. community based facilitators were identified to undergo training that was carried out

FAO UGANDA 5 Information Bulletin Thanks to the milk cooler, I can supplement my salary

My name is Jackson Tumwesigye. I have two cows from which I milk about 20 litres of milk per day. Of this, I take about 17 litres to the milk cooler everyday and receive my payment at the end of the month. I like this system because unlike in the past, I am now sure of a market for my milk. Secondly, keeping my money in the bank enables me to save more money than if I was paid on a daily basis. I earn about UGX 200,000 (USD 80) every month from milk sales. This money has enabled me to buy more land for my dairy project. I plan to purchase at least four more exotic heifers. In addition, I am able to pay school fees for my five children as well as provide other necessities for the home. Besides farming, I am also a part-time teacher at Iryaru- vumba High School where I also earn about UGX 200,000 (USD 80) per month. I am happy because unlike some of my colleagues who solely depend on their salaries for a livelihood, I am earning twice as much. The biggest challenges that we face in this community are livestock diseases. There is a veterinary doctor but he is based about 25 kilometers away in Kisoro town. Bringing him here to treat our livestock is very expensive. Even the drugs and vaccines are expensive because we normally buy the best quality in Kabale; a neighboring district. My appeal to Government and development partners is for their intervention in the area of animal health. We need a veterinary doctor based at the Sub County because we have the highest number of heifers in the district and are acquiring more.

6 FAO UGANDA Information Bulletin First-ever community based animal husbandry trainees graduate in Rubuguri, Kisoro district

By 9:00am on 17th April 2012, the little town of Rubuguri, in Kisoro district was unusually busy. School children are marching to a loud band that snakes through the town down to the field that has been prepared to host an important function. Chairs have been neatly arranged under three big white tents. The “music man” occasionally tests the microphones to ensure that they are okay. Wom- en, majority carrying children on their backs make their way to the field as most men run around to make sure that everything is in its place. Because it is such a small town, one announcement The Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries on the microphone about the arrival of the visitors congratulates one of the trainees is enough to get everybody running to the town centre. For a community that has embraced dairy farming as their major livelihood but grappled with insuffi- cient veterinary services, this is a great day because the first-ever 20 communities based facilitators are graduating today. In addition, FAO has fulfilled the promise to donate 20 exotic heifers to the community. The facilitators will make simple livestock diagno- sis, treat simple ailments and diseases and perform artificial insemination, among others. They will also be able to train more people in the community Mr. Tress Bucyanayandi congratulated the gradu- to carry out the same functions. Only complicated ates and challenged them to work towards earning cases will be referred to the Veterinary Doctors who UGX 20 million (USD 8,000) per year. He said the are over 25km away from Rubuguri. initiative was consistent with Government pro- In 2011, FAO contracted the Africa Institute for grammes. Strategic Resource Services and Development He also asked the Kisoro District Veterinary staff (AFRISA), a community engagement platform for to send to his office a report on the prevalence of Makerere University to carry out the training. Brucellosis in the district before the Ministry could According to Dr. Kansiime Michael, the Pro- plan for an intervention. gramme Development Manager for AFRISA, the The FAO Representative to Uganda, Mr. Alhaji Jal- graduates were trained in dairy husbandry prac- low appreciated the collaboration with the Ministry tices, clean milk production, dairy animal primary of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Dis- health care and dairy farm business planning and trict Local Governments and implementing part- entrepreneurship. ners in implementing FAO’s projects in the district The Principal of the College of Veterinary Medicine, and the region at large. Professor John David Kabasa, who also graduated “We are, therefore, kindly appealing for the con- the trainees, reiterated the importance of skills and tinuation of the good working relationship and knowledge in development, saying “countries can- support, and continued work with FAO to further not develop without their workforce”. explore the possibilities of up-scaling successful Speaking at the same function, the Minister of Ag- project results and methodologies to other district riculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), of Uganda”, he said.

FAO UGANDA 7 Information Bulletin Farmers sustain lucrative market for “Irish ” potatoes

armers that are supported by FAO in Kabale have secured and sustained a lucrative market in Kampala and FRwanda for their potatoes over the last five years. This market in Kampala in- cludes NANDOS, one of the biggest food chain restaurants, Kabira Country Club and a number of business enterprises in Owino and Kalerwe markets For Rwanda, the farmers sell potatoes to in- dividual potato importers who often cross into Uganda for the same. According to Tu- mukunde Herbert, the Information Board Manager based at Katuna border (between Nandos: Farmers supplied potatoes worth USD 120,000 to Nandos in 2011 Rwanda and Uganda), about 1,300 bags of potatoes were exported to Rwanda alone in Jan- uary 2012. Most of these potatoes, he adds, are “Previously, farmers were producing and exported by farmers in organized groups such selling potatoes individually. We used to put as Kamuganguzi Potato Growers and Market- bags of potatoes at the roadside after harvesting Association that are currently being sup- ing. Sometimes they would get stolen or get ported by FAO. spoilt”, he says. Mr. Matano Kadowa, the Managing Manager This is because most of them did not have at NANDOS, is happy with the relationship sufficient room to store the potatoes in their that has been established with the farmers in houses. Kamuganguzi Sub County in Kabale district adding that the farmers understand the type With the coming of the project in 2009, farm- of potatoes that NANDOS requires and they ers in Kamuganguzi were mobilized into five produce to meet the specifications that have groups of Nyabyumba, Muhondo, Kyasano, been agreed upon. Katenga and Katebura. These groups were later merged to form the Association that now According to the farmer’s records at Kamu- has 105 members. ganguzi Potatoe Growers and Marketing As- sociation, in 2011, they earned over UGX 300 To increase potato production, FAO trained million (USD 120,000) and UGX 73 million the farmers on methods to improve ware po- (USD 29,200) between January and March tato and seed potato production, marketing, 2012 from sales to Nandos alone group dynamics and record keeping. The association has also produced a five year busi- The Association’s Chairman, Charles ness plan. Byarugaba says this was unlike the period before 2009. In addition, FAO constructed two stores; one for ware and the other for seed potatoes where

8 FAO UGANDA Information Bulletin Potatoes at a roadside are exposed to harsh weather conditions and theft. FAO constructed stores to mitigate such challenges farmers bulk their produce before it is bought to principally buy more land and pay his chil- or transported to the market. According to the dren’s school fees on time. He also often gets Chairman, these stores are also an initiative to small agricultural loans that have enabled him produce potatoes because many more farmers to increase his production from three to now five are taking on the business. acres per season. The farmers were further linked to agro-input The association now plans to increase potato pro- dealers to access agricultural inputs such as duction by producing potatoes all year-round. fertilizers, pesticides and fungicides. This rela- However, with the changes in climate, this may tionship with the suppliers even enables them to prove daunting as it is a common phenomenon pick items on credit and pay later. for Kabale, once referred to as the “Switzerland of Uganda” to go without rains for longer than They have also been linked to Centenary Rural expected. That is why farmers think introduc- Development Bank to enable them access bank- ing irrigation would boost this initiative. Seeing ing services including credit. Before this linkage, their potential, Kigezi Diocese has so far provid- it was impossible for farmers to get agricultural ed water tanks and jars to the farmers to enable loans. However, now over 70 members of the as- them harvest and store rain water. sociation have opened accounts with the bank and are accessing loans to boost their potatoe Kamuganguzi Potato Growers and Marketing production. Association is just one among five associations and one cooperative that have been supported Ndyabawe Carl Peters, one of the farmers sup- in Kabale and Kisoro districts reaching a total of plies about 30 bags of potatoes per season to 1,400 households. . the association and is glad that his income of about UGX 2 million (USD 8,000) is secure and All together, the associations produce about comes through the bank. This has enabled him 23,000 tons of potatoes per annum.

FAO UGANDA 9 Information Bulletin Finding market information, a key function in the value chain Mary Goretti Turinomujuni’s experience

Mary Turinomujuni: Market information is important in the functioning of any value chain

Mary Goretti Turinomujuni struggles to finish the warehouse. They are inspected by the group’s her housework before 10:00am because she must marketing committee members before they are go on a 20km journey to town before the rain receipted. falls. She checks the kitchen door, making sure For her hard work, Charles pays her UGX 5,000 that it is firmly locked, puts a notice on her front (USD 2) in appreciation of her services. Her door informing her visitors that she will back in charges differ according to the quantity of po- the evening before she heads out. The journey tatoes delivered to the warehouse. On average, takes her one hour on foot and thirty minutes on Mary earns about UGX 100,000 (USD 40) per a hired motorcycle before she arrives at an inter- month and is happy to continue doing the work. net café. In addition to this, she grows potatoes that she Today she reports getting only good news at the supplies at UGX 50,000 (USD 20) – 70,000 café. The price of potatoes has gone up. (USD 28) per bag earning her over one million Mary is one of the 21 farmers referred to as shillings per season for 20 bags. With the pro- “IBMs” for Information Board Managers in the ceeds, she pays her son’s school fees and meets Kamuganguzi Potato Growers and Marketing As- her daily requirements at home. “I am a single sociation in Kabale district. Her duty is to regu- mother without any other source of income; so, larly collect market information about potatoes. this business is my only livelihood”, she says. After such visits, she goes back to the group’s Mary was appointed by the group as Information warehouse and posts the current prices and new Board Manager in 2009 because of her swiftness, markets for potatoes if any on the Information flexibility and reliability. Besides, she stays just a Board. few meters from the potato stores that FAO con- But often, farmers who cannot make it to the structed for the association. warehouse can call her directly or go to her home But in order to operate efficiently, the group to get the news. “That is why I always leave a note needs up to date information about market informing visitors when I will be back”, she says. prices and demands, hence the need for Mary’s As soon as she gets back home, Charles comes services. The Market information is provided by over and is excited by the news of a good price InfoTrade and goes directly to subscribers’ e- of potatoes. He rushes home and within two mails. hours makes a delivery of 120kg of potatoes to

10 FAO UGANDA Information Bulletin Tackling storage constraint

In order to consolidate gains of improved production, FAO has constructed eight stores worth UGX 220 million for seed and ware potatoe Kabale and Kisoro districts. The stores for ware potato enable the farmers to bulk their produce before it is transported to the market or picked up by buyers. The seed stores are used both as training centres for seed producers and later as bulking centres prior to sprouting of the seed and selling it to farmers and development partners.

FAO UGANDA 11 Information Bulletin Clean seed, important in improving potato production FAO supports the generation and diffusion of potatoe seeds

From struggling to produce enough potatoes is mandated to manage and carry out research, wheth- to feed his family through a season, Jackson er applied or adaptive for specific commodities in the Bagambe is now not only producing enough po- south western Kigezi agro-ecological zone. The training tato for food but also seed potato that he sells to covered areas such as identifying and sorting good seed, fellow farmers within the country and beyond. planting techniques, pest and disease management, harvesting and storage. According to Bagambe, while harvesting, the seed potatoes must be sorted and kept separately from the rest of the harvest. “It must not have any signs of disease or infestation by pests, should be of small size and must not have a cut. He says the land on which seed potato is grown for the first time must be virgin land on which potatoes have not been grown in the past in order to minimize chances of disease and pest transmission through the soil. Even before the project started, realizing that there was a shortage of good seed in the community, Jackson had embarked on seed production in 2007. But without proper training and skills, his harvest was always a miserable 10 bags in a season. “Some of the seeds used to get rotten because I used to just pour them on the floor”, he said. After the training and applying the recommended practices, Jackson now gets 80 bags from the same piece of land every season, earning him about UGX 6 million (USD 2, 400) per season. For three seasons per year, Jackson earns about 18 million UGX (USD 7, 200). He has now built a store with elevated wooden shelves where he stores the potatoes. Mwebaze Shantine, another farmer in Igabiro village in Muko Sub County says her production of seed also doubled after training. “From the same piece of land where I used to harvest 10 bags, I now harvest 20 bags of seeds worth about UGX 1.6 million (USD 6,400) per season”, “I was lucky to have been selected and trained she says. Shantine has adopted the improved produc- in potato seed production in 2009”, he said. The tion techniques such as spacing, spraying against pests, training was carried out by Kachwekano Zonal weeding on time, proper harvesting and storage. Agricultural, Research and Development Insti- tute (KAZARDI), a government institution that Even after losing her husband who was a bread winner,

12 FAO UGANDA Information Bulletin Shantine is now able to pay her children’s school fees evaluated on different attributes such as quality and totaling about UGX 4 million (USD 1,600) per term resistance to disease. The varieties that perform well and also pay for essential commodities and services are thus promoted. Currently, the most prominent at home. varieties are “Kachpot 1”, Kachpot 2, Nakpot 1, Nakpot5 and Victoria. Jackson and Shantine are some of the 105 farmers that have been trained with financial assistance from After the training, each of the 105 seed potato pro- FAO as seed producers in Kabale and Kisoro districts. ducers was provided with 10kgs of clean seed of potatoes for multiplication. The subsequent harvests According to anecdotal evidence from KAZARDI, al- were then shared and sold to other farmers as well as though potato seed is one of the major inputs in pota- other buyers. to production and a critical factor in enhancing crop productivity, its production and sales in Uganda are Because they also act as model farmers, the seed pro- remain low with most farmers saving seed from the ducers replicate the taught practices not only on their previous harvest. The self-supply system probably farms but also at home. Resultantly, they have con- accounts for over 70 per cent for the seed used in a structed seed stores in their respective homes. given cropping season (ASARECA, 2005). The farmers in Muko Sub County under Muko Expanded Potato Produc- ers’ Association produce about seven tones of seed per season. Whereas the potatoes can be remain fresh in the store for a month, most associations say the seed potatoes are always sold out within a week to both local and international buyers as well as government institutions and programmes such as the National Agricultural Ad- visory Services (NAADS). Justus Masanyu, the NAADs Coor- dinator in Muko Sub County said in addition to buying some of the seeds, the NAADS programme also provides capacity building training for the As- sociations. In 2010 alone, 20 groups under the NAADS programme bought seeds from MUKO Expanded seed potato association (Muko Expanded Potato Producers Association – one of New Potato varieties in the laboratory; Seed is one of the major inputs in potato production the FAO organized associations) and they plan to buy more this year (2012). The lack of clean seed has been compounded with the One challenge that the districts still grapple with prevalence of bacterial wilt disease, which resides in are the fake seeds that find their way into the mar- the soil and can be transmitted by seed potatoes. The ket. However, with initiatives like this project, the disease can spread in dirt carried from one field to district leaders in Kabale and Kisoro are confident another on shoes, farm implements, vehicles, irriga- that communities are more aware of the efforts to tion equipment or other water runoff. avail good seed and have started to look for it from credible sources. However, a government policy to Recognizing this bottleneck, FAO works with the protect certified seed potato producers would help in Government of Uganda through KARZARDI to pro- overcoming some of the challenges that come with duce clean seed that is provided to community-based unclean seed from untrained producers. seed producers in Kabale and Kisoro districts who further multiply and diffuse to the wider community. The initiative to continually carry out research and introduce new varieties is also mitigating the chal- According to the Robert Onzima, the acting Direc- lenge of diseases, especially bacterial wilt, which is tor of Research at KARZARDI, the institute is using prevalent in the region. the technologies of tissue culture and aeroponics to produce quality seed. Many genotypes are tested and

FAO UGANDA 13 Information Bulletin Budding honey production Farmers move beyond production to processing and marketing

“I have just checked on my girls and given them breakfast. They are doing well”, she says. Every day, she wakes up at about 6:00am to prepare food for her domesti- cated bees that she affectionately refers to as her “girls” or “daughters”. Today she has also inspected her daughters’ new home that is being constructed by two builders. Both Pauline and Evas do not only have a unique passion but also big plans for bee keeping. Evas for example plans to open a training centre at her home in order to introduce the bee keeping skills to other people, including students and pupils in the community. As we approach Mugabi Evas’ home in the Rusham- Pauline started rearing bees nine years ago bya village in Kabale municipality, sharp cries of a and harvests about 200kg of honey in each toddler can be heard, coming from the back of her of the three seasons per year. Her immediate kitchen. plan is to complete the housing unit for the Unfortunately, apart from the treatment that is bees and stock more hives. quickly administered on her bold head, her mother This is far above what many farmers get and other adults in the homestead do not seem to pay when they harvest honey using the tradition- a much attention to the incident. al methods that generate honey that is mixed Apparently, bee stings in this homestead are not a with broken wax, honeycomb, bee larvae and surprise anymore and children are taught to bear the pollen. Such a product naturally fetches a pain and to never hate bees. low price. “She must learn to deal with it”, retorts Evas, referring Pauline therefore recommends domesticat- to her two year old daughter who eventually stops cry- ing the bees; housing and feeding them. ing and goes back behind the kitchen where about 360 “Just like animals, bees have a liking for bee hives hang. some food such as pineapples peelings, cas- Across the town, Pauline Kirasha is climbing back up sava flour, flowers and several plants and the hill to her house looking excited.

14 FAO UGANDA Information Bulletin leaves”, she said. According to the Project Man- ager, Ms. Patricia Nsiime, the Another suggested practice is to project is responding to requests use the modern Langstroth hives by the Government and the bee that produce more and better keepers in the districts of Kabale purified honey as opposed to and Kisoro for support to in- the traditional “honey hunting” crease honey production, value practices where honey is collected addition and marketing. from wild colonies in trees and caves using traditional log hives Before the project, the bee keep- that are made out of wood and/or ers say their production was bamboo. much lower and fragmented; making it difficult to establish The advantage of the Langstroth how much honey they were pro- hive is that the bees build honey- ducing all together. comb into frames, which can be moved with ease. The frames are designed to prevent bees from at- Improved production taching honeycombs where they would either connect adjacent and marketing frames, or connect frames to the Today, they produce about 250 walls of the hive. The movable tons of honey per annum worth frames allow the beekeeper to UGX 1.2 billion (USD 800,000) manage the bees in a way which Each ton of honey is worth about was formerly impossible. UGX 5 million (USD 2,000). So far, farmers in Kabale and They have one formal market Kisoro have acquired over 300 outlet – Royal Supermarket, one Langstroth hives that are pro- of the biggest supermarkets in gressively replacing the tradi- Kabale that regularly buys their tional hives. processed and packaged honey In both districts, FAO is sup- at a higher price than the open porting over 1,000 farmers who market. The bee keepers sell a belong to 34 groups and six kilogram of processed honey at associations; of which two are UGX 8,000 (USD 3.2), instead now cooperatives using the value of 6,000 (USD 2.4) on the open market. Evas Mugabi chain approach. Cont’d next page

FAO UGANDA 15 Information Bulletin From previous page

However, their honey has also found its way to other parts of the country such as Mbarara and Kampala as well as to the neighbouring country, Rwanda. To strengthen the marketing function, six Sub County level marketing associations have been formed. The farmers in both Kabale and Kisoro have gone even a step

The farmers’ honey in Royal Supermarket

further by forming a District Level Apex body to promote honey production, advo- cacy and networking at the district level. In addition, the project has supported 20 beekeepers in upgrading their apiaries to a demo status, by providing each of them with five Langstroth hives and a full set harvesting gear. They have also undergo- nea hands on practical training in Lang- stroth apiary Management. Honey collection centres FAO has also facilitated the establishment of six honey collection centres, that are equipped with honey refining equipment, packaging and labeling materials. Two of the honey collection centres (Ikumba and Nkuringo) were established in collaboration with International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP). Four of the collection centres have new building structures erected by FAO worth UGX 210 million (USD 84,000). Processing honey has enabled the bee keepers to attract higher prices. According to group records, the price of honey has now increased from UGX 3,000 (USD 1.2) for unprocessed honey to UGX 8,000 (USD 3.2) to 10,000 (USD 4)for processed honey). Pauline Kirasha is constructing a home for her bees

16 FAO UGANDA Information Bulletin Beyond the honey the bee keepers are also account for maintenance of the Combined Car- processing the bi-products to produce candles pentry Machine. both as a group and individually. However, a Besides producing, processing and marketing huge potential exists in this area as many more honey, the project has also introduced a savings products such as cosmetic products, food sup- and credit scheme through which members save plements, venom, toothpaste, pharmaceutical and borrow money to meet their investment products can be produced. needs. Although it is just five months old, one group has a portfolio of UGX 4 million (USD Carpentry workshop 1,600). By April 2012, the total sum saved by In addition, FAO has supported the establish- all 35 groups introduced to the VSLA methodol- ment of a carpentry workshop that produces the ogy in the last six months under the project was Langstroth bee hives next to the honey collec- UGX 46 million (USD 18,400). tion centres. The carpenter has been trained through the pro- Huge potential ject and provided with a carpentry machine that According to the Uganda Apiculture Export is worth UGX 40 million (USD16, 000). Strategy, bee farming in Uganda is an important seasonal activity that has predominantly re- He signed a Memorandum of Understanding mained rudimentary and unexploited, yet it has with the farmers to use the machine, and the tremendous potential for widening the country’s export base. Besides, bee keeping plays an important role in the pollination of hundreds of insect-pollinated crops. However, the sector is dogged by many con- straints across the value chain including poor production methods, poor quality and standards and lack of adequate organization for marketing purposes. On a small scale, this project endevours to address the above mentioned challenges but targeting only over 1,000 households. How- ever, for country where over 30 percent of the population still survives on less than a dollar a day, exploiting this great potential in apiculture would provide a lucrative livelihood to many The combined Carpentry machine rural households. Despite the progress described above, the bee premises and in turn give the bee keepers 20 keepers in Kabale and Kisoro are not compla- Langstroth bee hives as a rental fee per month. cent. In addition to upping the production of honey, the farmers plan to open a bee keeper’s The farmers under the association then buy the bank, buy trucks to transport the honey and bee hives at UGX 20,000 (USD 8) while non ensure that each member’s household has a members pay UGX 150,000 (USD 60) from the minimum of 10 Langstroth bee hives. association. This money goes to the Apex Body

FAO UGANDA 17 Information Bulletin Building a sustainable horticultural value chain in Kasese FAO supports farmer groups to produce and process fruits for export

In the Sub Counties of Kitswamba, Rukooki, Muku- mango orchards into demonstration gardens. nyu and Bwera in Kasese district, FAO is supporting The project has also provided agricultural inputs such over 650 farmers who belong to 21 functional groups as 240 fruit fly traps, Personal Protective Equipment, and four associations to improve production, storage, processing and marketing of pineapples and mangoes. ...His Excellency, President Yoweri Museveni was impressed with the quality The farmers have been trained in commercial pro- of the fruits that farmers had displayed and duction of fruits focusing on production standardiza- introduced them to an Egyptian investor... tion, business proposal development, record keeping

fertilizers and training materials to the farmer groups. Eight solar driers that will be used for drying the fruits before they are exported have been set up in the project area. In anticipation of the increased production, FAO has commenced con- struction of a warehouse in Rukooki Sub County to enable the farmers to bulk their produce before it is picked up by buyers or Pineapple garden in Kasese; Four host farmers have been supported to see up four mother gardens transported to the market. and financial management. They have been linked While at the Jinja Agricultural Show in Jinja last to and signed contracts with vendors from Nakasero year, His Excellency, President Yoweri Museveni was market in Kampala as well as “Fruits of the Nile”, a impressed with the quality of the fruits that farmers company based in Jinja that will eventually buy their had displayed and introduced them to an Egyptian produce for export. investor whom he advised to buy some fruits from Four host farmers have been supported to set up the farmers to make jam. four pineapple mother gardens and upgraded twenty

18 FAO UGANDA Information Bulletin FAO Representative visits projects in Kabale and Kisoro

FAO UGANDA 19 Information Bulletin “Riding the Kagera Boat” to sustainable land management

As we move downhill in Rurongo Village in Isingiro district, the damage that has been done to the Kagera River is visible down the valley. The water is as brown as mud and its boundaries are shrinking.

It is the most remote headstream of the Nile River and largest trib- utary of Lake Victoria, rising in Burundi near the northern tip of Lake Tanganyika and flowing through Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda.

The communities in Rurongo village are so fond of the river that majorly contributes to their livelihood but are disappointed that their own unsustainable soil and land management practices are responsible for its deteriorat- ing state.

These have led to soil erosion, inadequate water retention to sustain crops and pastures dur- ing dry periods, increased runoff and siltation of river and its tributaries.

20 FAO UGANDA Information Bulletin That is why a group of farmers under ing of calliandra and Napier grass, re- Rurongo Community Based Association habilitation of gulleys and establishment have moved to improve their practices in of tree nurseries to provide tree planting order to restore the river to its original materials. So far, 13,000 seedlings have state. been planted.

“We are riding in the Kagera boat from According to the Project Manager, Dr. a place of soil degradation to a place Wilson Bamwerinde, these efforts will where we practice sustainable land help to restore degraded lands, conserve management practices. We have loaded agro-biodiversity, protect the waters and the boat with tree seedlings that we are improve agricultural production leading going to plant”, they sing. to increased food security and improved rural livelihoods Supported by FAO under the Kagera transboundary agro-ecosystem regional The project has also trained district project, communities that reside along technical staff from Kabale, Ntungamo, the river or streams that pour into it have Kiruhura, Mbarara, Isingiro and Rakai been mobilized and are undergoing par- districts in watershed management and ticipatory training in practices that will planning, identification of suitable sus- reduce soil degradation and rejuvenate tainable management practices to re- soil fertility. verse land degradation in rangelands and selected farming systems using Farmer The project also provided 1,500 tree Field School methodology. seedlings that have been planted along the streams and the river. These efforts have been funded by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and In Kabale district, 100 farmers in Ka- implemented by FAO in collaboration galama, Bahingi and Kweterana Farmer with the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Field Schools are undergoing training in Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF). sustainable land management practices such as the digging of trenches, plant-

FAO UGANDA 21 Information Bulletin Upscale Government leaders in southwestern Uganda tell FAO

The FAO Representative, Mr. Alhaji Jallow the Assistant FAO Representative in charge of programmes, Mr. Charles Owach and Project Manager, Wilson Bamwerinde listen to district leaders. They requested FAO to upscale projects in south western Uganda

Government officials in the districts of tween 17th and 21st April 2012. Kabale and Kisoro have requested FAO to While in Kamuganguzi, in Kabale district, upscale its interventions in the districts. where he met potato farmers, the Mr. Jal- The Chairman Local Council V (LCV) of low implored the farmers to invest the Kisoro, Mr. Milton Bazanye said “FAO’s proceeds of their businesses wisely if they interventions in this region are a big suc- were to realize their dreams. cess. We need to upscale the practices in “Please invest your proceeds in the educa- other Sub Counties”. tion and wellbeing of your children”, he He was particularly impressed with the said. dairy project in Kisoro district saying He also called upon the farmers to fully farmers had moved from producing 3,000 utilize the storage facilities and equipment liters of milk before the project to now that had been donated by FAO in order to 17,000 per month. improve their production. The Resident District Commissioner, Hajji Mr. Charles Owach, the Assistant FAO Ahmed Mustafa called for diversification Representative in charge of Programmes of enterprises. applauded the farmers for realizing the “I appeal to FAO to support other enter- value of working together and sticking to- prises such as beans”, he said. gether in groups. The district officials delivered the message “Unity is strength. If you continue to work while meeting the FAO Representative in together, you will succeed in whatever you Uganda, Mr. Alhaji Jallow who was moni- want to do”, he said. toring project activities in the district be-

22 FAO UGANDA Information Bulletin FAO has provided 86 Tonnes of as- the United Nations Peace Building sorted crop, 392 oxen and 670 ox Fund. ploughs to farming communities Speaking at the official launch of in Lamwo, Kitgum, Pader Agago, the distribution on 17th April 2012 Gulu, Katakwi and Amuria districts in Omiya Anyima Sub County in in northern Uganda for the first Kitgum district, the Local Council cropping season of 2012. V Chairperson for Lamwo district The seeds were provided under Mr. Ocen Richard appreciated the the Agricultural Livelihood Recov- initiative and cautioned the farmers ery Project (ALREP) project, “Im- against misusing the agricultural Northern proving Food Security and Ag- inputs. ricultural Livelihoods of the The Secretary for Production for War Affected Communities in Kitgum district Ms Kidega Joyce Acholi and Teso” that is funded Uganda who represented the Local Council by the European Union through the V Chairman called upon the farm- Government of Uganda. ers to increase their agricultural farmers In addition, 464 oxen and 232 ox production for home consumption ploughs were provided to enhance and the market. She challenged land opening under the project many youth who are idle in the get 86 “Restoration of Agricultur- community to take advantages of al Livelihoods among reset- such initiatives to engage in farm- tling communities of north- ing. Tones of ern Uganda” that is funded by seeds for 2012 first cropping season

FAO UGANDA 23 Information Bulletin Revitalizing Community Animal Health in Karamoja

Ambassadors of some EU countries pose for a photo with some of the Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs). Funding from EU countries has enabled FAO to train 350 (CAHWs) and equip 415 with standard kits.

With funding from the Spanish Agency for was graced by the presence of 11 Ambassadors International Development Cooperation of some EU countries led by the EU Head (AECID), FAO in collaboration with the of Delegation who handed over veterinary Karamoja Livestock Development Forum equipment to the participants that had (KLDF) and Karamoja Livelihoods Programme successfully completed the refresher training. (KALIP) has retrained 350 Community Within the framework of the Karamoja Animal Health Workers (CAHWs) and Livelihood Programme (KALIP) – a Peace equipped 415 with standard kits. The kits Recovery and Development Programme comprised of bicycles, overalls, gumboots and (PRDP) special programme funded by the an assortment of equipment and drugs. The European Union, FAO is supporting the beneficiary CAHWs were selected following respective District Veterinary Offices to engage a comprehensive mapping exercise that the 415 CAHWs as sentinels for the routine captured the geo-spatial distribution and participatory animal disease surveillance. status of the existing CAHWs and veterinary This is part of the broader ongoing efforts drug shops in the region in a digitized format to strengthen animal health services in using smart phone technology. Karamoja. The training for CAHWs in Moroto district

24 FAO UGANDA Information Bulletin FAO Representative kicks of planting activities in Karamoja 7,000 acres planted

The FAO Representative with farmers of Eteteunos Agro – Pastoral Field School, in Nadunget Sub County, Moroto district

hile visiting the Karamoja region Institute (NaSARRI) and Nabuin Zonal Agricultural to monitor FAO projects and meet Research and Development Institute (NabuinZAR- stakeholders in May 2012, the FAO DI) to strengthen the local seed system by setting WRepresentative in Uganda, Mr. up seed multiplication blocks of food security crop Alhaji Jallow officially kicked off planting of 14.4 varieties appropriate for Karamoja with the aim of Metric Tonnes of foundation seeds of assorted food increasing availability of good quality seed. security crop varieties and 6,600 kits of assorted The seeds and ox ploughs were provided under the vegetable seeds that were provided by FAO. At FAO project “Improving Food Security and least 3,800 acres of quality seed multiplication Diversification of Livelihood Opportunities blocks and 3,000 acres of Manyatta (a compound for Communities in Karamoja”. The Euro 2.4 established by a family or clan) –based backyard million project contributes to Result 2 (Enhancing vegetable gardens will be established by the end of Agro-pastoral Production) of the Karamoja the growing season through the Agro Pastoral Field Livelihood Programme (KALIP), a Government Schools benefiting 13,200 households. Relatedly, to of Uganda Peace Recovery and Development facilitate land opening, FAO also distributed 480 ox Programme (PRDP) special programme that was ploughs to farmer groups. funded by the European Union under the 10th According to the National Programme Manager for European Development Fund (EDF). Karamoja, Mr. James Okoth, FAO is collaborating with the National Semi Arid Resources Research

FAO UGANDA 25 Information Bulletin  COMING UP

Theme: “Agricultural cooperatives – key to feeding the world” World Food Day, 16 October 2012

Agricultural cooperatives are the focus of World Food Day 2012. The official World Food Day theme gives focus to World Food Day observances and raises awareness and understanding of approaches to ending hunger. “Agricultural cooperatives – key to feeding the world” is the formal wording of the 2012 theme. It has been chosen to highlight the role of cooperatives in improving food security and contributing to the eradication of hunger. Interest in cooperatives and rural organizations is also reflected in the decision of the UN General Assembly to designate 2012 “International Year of Cooperatives.” http://www.fao.org/getinvolved/worldfoodday/en/

26 FAO UGANDA Information Bulletin FAO UGANDA 27 Information Bulletin Editorial Photographers Alhaji Jallow David Kintu Charles Owach Francis OtimOkello James Okoth Mathias Mugisha Mario Samaja Rachel Nandelenga Rachel Nandelenga Patricia Nsime Wilson Bamwerinde Contributors David Kintu Design and Layout James Okoth Abbey Ssemwanga - Footprint Creations Ltd Rachel Nandelenga Rachel Nandelenga - FAO Uganda Francis OtimOkello

FAO’s programmes have been funded by the following agencies and A publication of the Food and Agriculture Governments: Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Representation in Uganda European Commission (EC), Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO), DFID, USAID-Office for Foreign Disaster Plot 88 Buganda road, Wandegeya, Assistance (OFDA), RockeFeller Foundation, Belgian Survival Fund, P.O.Box 521 Kampala - Uganda United Nations Peace Building Fund, CERF, Bill and Melinda Gates Tel: +256 414 340324/349916/7, Foundation, Gorta and the Governments of Italy, Sweden, Ireland, Fax: +256 414 250579 Belgium, Japan, Norway, Spain, Australia, Germany, Netherlands, E-mail: [email protected], Switzerland and United Kingdom. Internet: www.fao.org