Compiled by Betty Amamukirori, Prossy Nandudu, Shamim Saad and Kellen Owente

BUSINESS | HARVEST MONEY EXPO | VISION GROUP

KAMPALA - The young, old, prospective and experienced farmers within and outside Kampala thronged the three-day Harvest Money Expo to learn, get connections and find markets. 

The expo, in its 6th edition, attracted over 200 exhibitors and hundreds of Ugandans from far and wide. 

Willy Mwesigwa, the marketing co-ordinator ENGSOL, described the expo as a success, saying they were able to realise all their objectives. 

“When we talk about objectives, we are talking about brand visibility and generating inquiries about our equipment. All these have been met. We got clients who knew what they wanted. The expo connected us to the real clientele we were targeting,” he said. 

Mwesigwa noted that they are looking forward to more future partnerships with Vision Group. 

Meddy Mwiri, the ENGSOL sales and marketing manager, welcomed the idea of the expo expanding to other regions, noting that this will address the plight of farmers who cannot afford transport to Kampala. 

Willy Mwesigwa, the marketing co-ordinator ENGSOL, described the expo as a success, saying they were able to realise all their objectives.

“Extending the expo to different parts of the country will give more farmers, especially those who cannot make it to Kampala, an opportunity to access services,” he said. 

Mwiri advised Vision Group to tap into the East African regional market to cater for investors and farmers in the agriculture space. 

Mathias Okurut, the quality manager Uganda Warehouse Receipt System Authority, said the expo gave them the opportunity to understand farmers’ views and concerns in relation to the system, which they plan to use among agricultural stakeholders. 

Frank Buizer, an agricultural councillor for Uganda and Rwanda Netherlands Embassy, expressed gratitude to Vision Group, saying the expo connected people to the solutions they seek. 

The Netherlands Village at the Expo.

“I was extremely overwhelmed to see young people from different schools coming to learn farming skills and being inspired through the different innovations that exhibitors showcased. We shall always be happy to sponsor such good programmes,” he noted. 

Lauding the Expo

Isaac Sekibaala, a marketing agent at Champrisa International Limited, noted that the expo attracted farmers that were more familiar with agro-business than ‘gamblers’ who have no idea about the concept. 

“This specific exhibition attracted more local entrepreneurs with local breeds and materials that ordinary people are familiar with, rather than exporters who usually show up with products that seem new and unreal,” he said. 

David Mutahunga, the regional general manager western, Conversion Feeds and Nutrinova, said the expo gave them a platform and increased awareness to the farmers and those planning to join the sector. 

“The turn-up has contributed to our brand awareness, hence increasing the sales, as well as people getting to know more about us, and how we can help them. We are not here only to do business but rather to help the farmers better themselves and add value. We have gotten a chance to meet several potential clients and explain to them,” Mutahunga said. 

He noted that they were able to get many potential clients and also interact with their competitors to see how they can improve their trade. “Being one of the sponsors, I got a golden chance to access enough airtime/space to get to the people who did not make it to the expo. We really got enough talk shows, so our engagement was not a waste,” he said. 

Partners of the Expo

Vision Group partnered with the Dutch Embassy, the agriculture ministry, Engineering Solutions (ENGSOL), Bella Wines, Pepsi, Uganda Warehouse Receipt System Authority, Prudential, Champrisa International Limited and Conversion Feeds Limited. 

ENGSOL deals in agricultural machinery, which include tractors, ploughs, harrows, planters, harvesters, trailers, water bowsers, milking machines, forage choppers and bailers. 

Champrisa deals in animal feed premixes and nutritional services (consulting on boosting productivity). 

Conversion Feeds deals in importation of animal feeds called intrapo, supplements and vitamins for nutrinova.