Mbale Farmers Benchmark Rukungiri Agricultural Practices to Boost Yields
Rukungiri: A team of four individuals from Mbale District has begun a two-day benchmarking tour in Rukungiri District, focusing on agriculture and livestock. The tour aims to help improve farming practices in their region by learning from successful farmers in Rukungiri.
The benchmarking tour, which began on July 14, is being led by the Rukungiri District Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Hajji Swalihk Masokoyi Wasswa. The team is accompanied by officials from the district production office, sub-county representatives, and local farmers.
On the first day, the team visited prominent farmers including Boaz Rutera from Bugangari Sub-county, who specializes in coffee and banana plantations, and Frank Mugiri from Buyanja Sub-county, known for his zero-grazing cattle farming.
During an interview with our news reporter, Masaba Lydia, a retired teacher and one of the representatives from Mbale, said the tour has been an eye-opener. She noted that they have learned several useful practices such as mulching and intercropping, which help farmers achieve high yields even on poor soils. She expressed optimism that these methods will be applied back home to improve agricultural productivity.
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Rukungiri CAO Hajji Swalihk Masokoyi Wasswa said that while Mbale has fertile soils, many people lack commitment to agricultural projects, which has contributed to poor yields. He emphasized that the purpose of the benchmarking visit is to learn from the hardworking farmers of Rukungiri who have managed to reap big from crops like coffee and bananas.
He revealed that the team on July 15, will visit a piggery project in Nyakagyeme Sub-county, a district demonstration farm in Nyarushanje Sub-county, and other farms as part of their learning tour.
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Rukungiri District Principal Agriculture Officer, Mildred Kukundakwe, advised farmers to test their soils before starting any farming project. She explained that soil testing helps identify the best crops to grow and the necessary nutrients to improve soil health.
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Among the farmers visited, Boaz Rutera from Nyankoro Cell, Kashayo Parish in Bugangari Sub-county, owns over 15,000 coffee trees and reportedly harvests over 100 kilograms from some individual trees. Frank Mugiri from Bwenkurijo Cell, Nyakina Parish in Buyanja Sub-county, has 28 cattle and milks up to 30 liters per cow daily.
Both farmers urged Ugandans to remain committed to their agricultural projects instead of jumping from one project to another. “Some people start with coffee, switch to cocoa, and then to bananas. This lack of consistency leads to failure,” they noted.
They encouraged fellow farmers to be passionate, dedicated, and willing to invest time and resources in agriculture to achieve success.
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