Forget the supermarket with urban farming

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The first day of the Harvest Money Expo proved fruitful for all, exhibitors and expo visitors.

Even the rain hardly dampened the spirit of the expo, as visitors kept walking up and down the Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, visiting exhibitor stalls. Organised by Vision Group, the expo has been sponsored by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, ENGSOL, Tunga Nutrition, aBi, Pearl Bank, and Uganda Development Corporation. Other sponsors are Heifer International, Roke Telecom, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Denmark, Pepsi and Uganda Revenue Authority.

In tandem with the expo’s theme, Farming as a business, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) urged expo visitors to engage in urban farming to reduce the household expenditure on vegetables, spices, fruit and even food.

Godfrey Kato of KCCA’S Kyanja Agricultural Research Centre said under urban farming, homes can earn from home, if they grow high-value produce.

“Grow vegetables like red pepper, strawberry, and broccoli because they have a ready market. Grow vegetables a lot because there is a lot of market in urban areas. Lots of food and vegetables come from villages, but you can grow them too,’ said Kato.

He cited the different gardens suitable for limited spaces in urban areas as: the vertical gardens, which use A-frames; sack gardens that grow vegetables within a square metre, and tiered racks, where crops are grown in layers.

His colleague, Nicholas Kayondo, cautioned visitors to ensure they get the right seed or seedling before they embark on urban farming to avoid making losses.

“Make sure you buy seeds that are not older than a year on the market,” said Kayondo, adding: “Owing to quality issues, KCCA decided to grow seedlings and sell them affordably, from as low as sh300.”

The three-day event will end on Sunday and only costs sh10,000 for the entrance fee, while an additional sh10,000 gives one access to training.