Feeding nations from 1.5 acres

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For the tenth year running, Vision Group, together with the Embassy of the Netherlands, KLM Airlines, dfcu Bank and Koudijs Animal Nutrition, is running the Best Farmers Competition. The 2025 competition will run from April to November, with the awards in December. Every week, Vision Group platforms will publish profiles of the farmers. Winners will walk away with sh150m and a fully paid-for trip to the Netherlands.

In Arua city, West Nile, a former secondary school teacher has turned a modest 1.5-acre plot into a thriving agricultural enterprise that feeds communities, empowers the youth and generates millions of shillings.

Ann Hope Anguyo, the founder of Ramic Agro-Investments Ltd, is redefining urban farming.

From classroom to cultivation

Anguyo left the classroom during the two-year COVID-induced lockdown on educational institutions to manage the spread of the disease between 2020 and 2021.

“Teaching is my profession, but farming is my passion,” she says.

Anguyo’s entrepreneurship journey began in 2018 with the launch of Vendor Capital Finance, a microfinance institution in Arua city.

Inspired by President Yoweri Museveni’s four-acre model, she took up poultry, piggery, horticulture, black soldierfly farming and sunflower oil production on 1.5 acres.

Her dream was to “change lives through employment and food production”.

Cattle rearing in Yumbe

Anguyo’s first journey into farming was in 2018, when she bought 10 head of Ankole cattle at sh20m.

Today, she has 85 head of cattle, including Ankole and other local breeds, producing 30 litres of milk daily.

The milk is another income stream on her mixed farm.

Birds for hotels, nations

In 2020, Anguyo added poultry farming to her portfolio due to the high demand for chicken in hotels and neighbouring countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.

She started with 500 broilers, which she bought at sh1.5m.

She also invested sh6m in structures. Today, she rears both broilers and kuroilers, supplying hotels and markets in DR Congo and South Sudan.

Sunflower oil packaged at Ramic Agro-Investments Ltd in Arua city.

Every two weeks, she brings in 300-400 broilers and 800-1,000 kuroilers, with the latter for sale when they are one-month-old to other farmers.

Pigs for pork, profit

In 2021, Anguyo diversified to include piggery, investing sh6m in structures and piglets.

She rears landrace, camborough and large white breeds. She sells some of the pigs, while others are fattened for pork. Her stock is 75 pigs.

“We’re expanding the numbers to meet the growing demand,” she says.

The greenhouse revolution Also in 2021, Anguyo ventured into horticulture.

Using sh6m from her savings and profits from her financial business, she bought a greenhouse, setting up the structure, initial seed and land preparation.

She grows sweet peppers, purple cabbage, tomatoes and sukuma wiki all year round in both the greenhouse and an open field.

“Vegetables are our cash cow and a reliable source of income and nutrition for the community,” she says.

Sunflower oil: Adding value

In 2022, Anguyo ventured into sunflower farming in Yumbe district, investing sh18m on 30 acres.

She also decided that she would venture into value addition and set up a processing facility at sh35m.

The farm produces sunflower oil. The byproduct, seedcake, are sold as animal feed.

Black soldier fly farming

In 2025, Anguyo introduced maggot farming using black soldier flies, investing sh4m. The maggots provide high-protein feed for poultry and pigs, while the waste is used as organic manure.

“It adds value to our production and attracts farmers for training,” she says.

Training and mentorship Based on her enterprises, Anguyo’s farm has become a hub for learning.

She has trained over 300 farmers, including Parish Development Model beneficiaries, students, and groups.

Anguyo also hosts interns from agricultural schools and visitors from DR Congo.

Innovation and management

Anguyo is not an agronomist and thus has hired professionals to manage each enterprise.

“Continuous learning is key,” she says.

Anguyo’s team undergoes regular training to stay updated on agricultural technologies.

Social impact

Anguyo’s farm is a catalyst for mindset change.

“People leave inspired to start their own farms,” she says.

Anguyo also donates farm items such as chicken and vegetables as part of her corporate social responsibility.

Water, conservation

Anguyo drilled two wells at sh3m each that supply 30,000lts of water daily. Water is accessed using solar-powered pumps.

Anguyo practices climate-smart agriculture, digging contours and planting trees and grass to prevent soil erosion.

“Conservation is a priority,” she says.

Achievements

• Expanded from one to three plots
• Increased chicken houses from one to three
• Acquired a pellet machine for pig feed
• Pays school fees for her children
• Purchased vehicles and motorcycles for farm operations

Challenges

• High feed costs, especially maize
• Poultry diseases causing losses
• High staff turnover, driven by unrealistic expectations
• Managing public perception that farming is a quick path to wealth Plans Anguyo envisions her farm as a regional model for transformation.

She plans to:

• Produce her own animal feeds
• Expand value addition
• Continue shaping mindsets and livelihoods.

Farm management

Family and sustainability

Anguyo involves her children and close relatives in farm activities.

“Sustainability starts with family,” she says.

Anguyo’s children help in poultry and horticulture, learning the ropes early.

Labour force

Ramic Agro-Investments employs 13 permanent staff in Arua and five in Yumbe, earning between sh150,000 and sh500,000 monthly. Hundreds of casual labourers earn sh5,000 to sh10,000 daily.

“I ensure salaries are paid on time,” she says.

Earnings, expenditure

Anguyo earns between sh8m and sh10m monthly from her enterprises.

“It’s enough to sustain the farm, and we’re working to increase earnings,” she says.

Best practices

One of the workers’ roles is to keep the records, tracking all farm inputs and outputs.

“Routine checks ensure transparency and help us measure progress,” Anguyo says.

The farm has strict biosecurity protocols, including disinfectant footbaths and handwashing stations.

Physical security includes fencing, a gate, and a night guard to prevent theft, especially in grazing areas.