Bombo Army Secondary School shows expo-goers how to grow unique and affordable animal feed

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The future of food security in Uganda looks bright because both primary and secondary schools have embraced farming.

This is evident in the growing interest in school farming clubs and the increasing attendance at events such as the Harvest Money Expo over the years.

At the 10th anniversary of the Harvest Money Expo, Bombo Army Secondary School made a strong impression. At their stall, Monica Nakibala, an S.3 student, demonstrated how they grow azolla to feed poultry and dairy cattle. Azolla is a green aquatic plant similar to algae.

“We fill a pond with water, place cow dung in a sack, and put it in the pond. Make sure the cow dung you use has been kept for about a month so that it dries. Thereafter, cover the pond,” Nakibala said, explaining how azolla is grown.

She added: “Add a handful of azolla, and it will multiply within a week. After that, you can harvest it and feed the birds and cattle.”

Nakibala said azolla is good for cattle. “Cows that eat this produce good milk,” she said. Azolla has a deep green colour, which indicates a high chlorophyll content.

The Harvest Money Expo helps farmers to fill the information gap by linking them with experts. Alongside other partners who supported the expo, Vision Group teamed up with the Kingdom of the Netherlands, ENGSOL, Tunga Nutrition, aBi, Uganda, Pearl Bank and Uganda Development Corporation (UDC). Other sponsors included Heifer International, Roke Telecom, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), Pepsi and the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).

The three-day event, which brought together farmers, machinery dealers, financial institutions and value-addition players, started on February 27 and ends today, March 1.