My name is Titus Kisauzi, aged 34 years. I am a Ugandan living in Kampala. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture and a Master’s Degree in Agricultural Extension Education from, Makerere University.
I wish to boost the Agribusiness Centre initiative, which was started in 2014 in Busukuma Sub-County, Wakiso district, Uganda.
The district neighbours Kampala City but is still rural to a large extent given that many people are engaged in farming activities.
The overall objective of the centre is to provide comprehensive agribusiness services to the surrounding farming communities by building mutual business relations with farmers through farmer organizations or groups that are enterprise based.
At the outset, we organize farmers based on the market opportunities identified to create a critical mass of farmers to produce for that market. At present we have decided to concentrate on vegetables and mushrooms as these bring returns quickly and the nearby capital city and export companies guarantee the market.
After organizing farmers into produce groups, we train the farmers in the identified enterprises with regard to both technical and business aspects, which are followed by periodic coaching and mentoring to ensure that the right quantities and quality are obtained.
In addition, we stock the centre with quality agro-inputs (seed and agro-chemicals) for them to use to ensure quality. At harvest the centre acts as a collecting point where the produce is sorted, graded, packed and then delivered to markets, and farmers paid their agreed price.
To ensure sustainability, the centre retains a small commission for marketing services, sale of agro-inputs and a further initial membership fee as agreed upon with the farmers.
This project was tailored in response to the problems (which we see as opportunities to serve) farmers identified in our earlier dialogues with them. The problems included pest and diseases, poor seed, declining soil fertility, inadequate user information on seed on the market, limited knowledge on crop agronomy to maximize yield, disorganized markets, lack of market information, and low prices.
Prevalence of these problems is indicative of the inadequacies in the agricultural services in such farming communities. In such conditions, the potential of agriculture to improve livelihoods cannot be realised. But also, the lack of comprehensive services in an area often leaves farmers stranded at some point, which leads to frustration and losses, making agriculture less competitive and unattractive especially among the youth.
Nonetheless, the problems identified offer great entrepreneurial opportunities for creating employment and training for students, while genuinely contributing to improving livelihoods of many through agriculture.
As earlier alluded to, we have had several dialogues with farmers to establish issues to be addressed by the centre but also to be clear on what should be expected of the centre and farmers in turn. We have thus identified over 35 potential members, with three who have so far paid up membership. We have set up the centre and maintained it since it started.
Being practical and leading by example, we have also established demonstration plots of assorted vegetables, and mushrooms so that we engage with farmers from both an informed and practical point of view.
We have also developed links with suppliers of quality inputs and technologies and connected with potential buyers, taking stock of their specific requirements. A maize demo to showcase the quality of improved seed was set up at a farmer’s plot last season and some of the seed at the centre were sold out during the previous season.
Knowing the dynamic nature of agriculture, we have kept abreast with the latest trends in the practice through participating in relevant trainings. We have also registered a company and a business name for the produce distribution channel, which will be used in branding of our products.
Training of farmers, first in the business side of farming (business orientation) has been done. A nursery for producing quality seedlings has also been set up to avail initial seed capital for the vegetable enterprise, and to those who may be interested in buying seedlings in future.
The measures for our success are simple and straight forward. They include:
- the number of farmers who have paid up membership fee
- volume of business in terms of inputs and produce transacted by the centre
- number of farmers served by the centre
- profitability of the centre and
- Increase in farmers’ incomes as a result of engaging with the centre.
In order to boost the initiative, the USD 5,000 will be distributed as follows:
- USD 1,875 will be used to procure a motorcycle which will facilitate farm visiting for effective farmer coaching and mentorship at the farm level to ensure concepts taught are practised.
- USD 1,000 will be injected into further stocking of the centre with a variety of inputs for farmers to buy, including the initial seed capital for establishing demo farms on selected farmer premises.
- USD 900 will be used to procure and install drum irrigation kits (adapted from the Chapin bucket) at three sites as an affordable irrigation technology to facilitate production of vegetables during dry seasons (and drought) so that farmers can fetch even better prices on the market.
- USD 775 will be initial capital for buying farmer produce, and in order to supplement the income of the centre, groundnut paste making and packaging machinery will be procured and installed at USD 450.
- The groundnuts processed at the centre will be obtained from farmer groups in Eastern Uganda where plenty of groundnuts are grown.
Blogpost and picture submitted by Titus Kisauzi (Uganda): tkisauzi[at]yahoo.com
The content, structure and grammar are at the discretion of the author only.
This post is published as proposal #422 of “YAP” – our “Youth Agripreneur Project”.
The first selection of the winners will be based on the number of comments, likes and views each proposal gets.
As a reader, you can support this speaker’s entry:
- Leave a comment (question, suggestion,..) on this project in the comment field at the bottom of this page
- Support the post by clicking the “Like” button below (only possible for those with a com account)
- Spread this post via your social media channels, using the hashtag: #GCARD3
Have a look at the other “YAP” proposals too!
As a donor, support young agripreneurs and sponsor this unique project.
Check out the side column for our current sponsors. “YAP” is part of the #GCARD3 process, the third Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development.
The GFAiR Blog 
Inspiring project! It brings the farmer closer to the markets and enhances the value of their products. Its a win-win strategy with the farmers and business/ markets.
This is a brilliant idea, conceived and birthed by young professionals with an entrepreneurial mind. Besides helping to develop the commodity value chains in Uganda, many youths would want to learn from them.
This is a good project since it can help the smallholder farmers to benefit from agriculture as a business especially the youth and women who normally have limited access to land.
This is a good project , and since it helps us to come up with different ideas and plans for the young framers in how they will benefit from Agriculture…………… i would like involve young youths to engage in agriculture for the better live- hoods
I think I like the project. It will be of benefit to the farmers given the area where it is. I have personally worked in that place and the challenges that were mentioned by the farmers while carrying out my activities therein are well articulated here.
However, as a gender scholar and activists, Titus needs to be clear on how to incorporate the issue of gender as regards this initiative. At each point in due course of the project/initiative, there is need for a clear line over who should be involved where, how about resource distribution, will there be equity.
Titus should be clear.
However, the whole project and idea gets a plus from me. Its quite a brilliant idea!
Good project to boost farming for the low income earners. It is an inspiring one.
as a developing country ( Uganda) its a pleasure to see a young , entrepreneur, who is skilled in the area of agriculture which is the backbone for our country, and at the same time creating job opportunities to young workers.
Thank you all for the encouraging comments! We are challenged to do our best to realize the fruits. @ Henry, I agree that the gender aspects cannot be overlooked given that the project ultimately aims at improving the livelihoods of farmers at household level. We are thinking of a target of UGX 2 million a month as agricultural income for households per month (this is next to a miracle but we have to push so that agriculture may become a competitive employer). And of course where resources are involved gender issues become more prominent. Thanks for the reminder.
Thank you for coming up with this project, cause for so long the farmer has been ignored like how the teacher profession is, esspecially in Uganda, so with such upcoming projects like these, it brings up the value worth of a farmer and Agriculture as a sector in uganda closer to the consumer.Keep it up very inspiring.
Thank you for this project , its very inspiring and encouraging for the Agricultural sector and most importantly for the farmer, because for so long the Agricultural profession has been ignored like the teaching profession in Uganda, so with such, up coming projects, they bring a farmer closer to the consumer and giving the farmer self worth for his efforts.Keep up , good work
This project is innovative in several ways. First, it directly addresses problems in semi-urban agriculture (this category has largely been ignored by mainstream programs and interventions); second, the methodology allows for replication in other areas (so I would recommend that this serves a pilot); third, it seeks to fill a knowledge gap by moving beyond conventional methods (training, coaching) to demos; and finally, it lays out an evaluation and sustainability strategy. These factors are necessary for a strong proposal and suggest a high probability of success.
Great work Titus. Please keep on going irrespective of whether you win or not. Otherwise, i wish you the best.
Thank you Titus for following up on this project up to this level. This is a great idea and will definitely bring positive transformation in the lives of our people.
Horace
Thank you Titus for great Idea!
The name for the project seems to suggest it is meant for youth. However, I have seen mature women and men in training session; And if it is targeting youth, then it is likely to exclude some of the existing members and probably your self since youth are perceived to be young people below 31 years of age. It may be necessary to consider a review of the project name for its relevancy-though it is catchy ‘YAP’
Otherwise my both thumbs up for the project
The various benefits of a farmer group are so important for smallholder farmers to move into commercial farming; this project, an affordably brokered farmer group project, is able to keep the quality of group services and benefits high (quality inputs, quality trainings, quality marketing and prices) perhaps more so than would the average traditional farmers group. I know Titus will keep good records of the impact, so It has great potential to be an excellent model for replication
Great proposal! I have learned a lot how to give direction to a learning farm initiative in sagada, philippines. Thanks and may you get more support for your proposal.