Batuulya earning big from NAADS

With a family of two wives and 12 children, making ends meet was a challenge for the 55-year-old Erusania Baatulya until 2011 when he embraced the National Agricultural Advisory Services Organisation programme.

Early that year, NAADS gave Baatulya, a resident of Bukoova, in Bukoma sub-county, Luuka district, five piglets, two of which died.

Eight months later, Baatulya sold all his pigs and bought better breeds from the former chief Justcie Waako Wambuzi's farm.  "Although my breed was not bad, Wambuzi's breed was better," Baatulya recalls. He bought three piglets from the retired chief justice's farm and after four months, they gave birth to 10 piglets each.

NAADS bought all these piglets at once, which was a big boost financially. He used part of the money to build a modern pig sty and stocking feeds. "The pigs have since been multiplying, to the extent that at one time, I had over 300 pigs. Just last week, I sold 15 piglets at a go," Baatulya says.

Today he has 124 pigs. He adds that piggery is a very profitable business.

After his success with the pigs, NAADS' officials were so impressed with Baatulya that they gave him a heifer in 2012.

He sold it when it was two months old and bought a pregnant heifer at sh1.5m. "I sold it at sh900,000 and topped it up with sh0.6m from the sale of piglets," Baatulya says. 

After three months, the heifer had a male calf. After one year, Baatulya sold the bull, topped the earnings with proceeds from milk sales and bought another pregnant heifer that gave birth after only three months.

Meanwhile, the first heifer he bought was also pregnant and gave birth to a female calf a month later. Right now, he has four heifers, two calves and one bull.

Baatulya says he collects 10 litres of milk every day and sells each at sh1,200.

Other enterprises

In 2013, Baatulya diversified into crop growing when he applied to NAADS for cassava suckers, which he was granted. He planted three acres of cassava from which he earned sh2.5m. He also sold the suckers to NAADS at sh900,000.

Last year, Baatulya planted two acres of groundnuts and harvested 1,500kg, which earned him sh1.6m. He has now planted matooke on three acres from which he expects to earn millions at the end of the year. He also has three acres of cassava that he expects to harvest soon.

Baatulya's life has improved greatly since 2011 when he went into agriculture. "I have purchased several plots of land, a motorbike to ease my transport, a solar panel and most importantly educating my children in good schools," Baatulya says.