Harvest Money Expo attracts agribusiness players from across the region

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Thousands of showgoers flocked Kololo Ceremonial Grounds for the Harvest Money Expo, which ran from February 27 to March 1. The event attracted agribusiness players from across the region.

Apart from exhibitor stalls, there was a series of training sessions organised during the three days of the expo. Participants paid sh10,000 for entrance and sh10,000 per day to attend the training sessions.

By 8:00am, when the gates were opened to the public, exhibitors were ready to welcome visitors and provide all the relevant information they needed to start or improve the management of their farms in order to increase production and profitability.

With joy and excitement, Rosemary Nnaalongo Nabukalu from Nganjo, Entebbe Road, said she had come with eight friends to learn about urban farming since they live in an urban setting.

“We understand that there is a lot to learn at this expo, so we have come to learn how to start farming as a business,” she said.

Don Wanyama, the Chief Executive Officer of Vision Group, called upon agribusiness sector players to take part in the learning sessions, network with industry experts, input dealers, exporters and processors, and tap into possible business opportunities.

Christopher Magezi, the Managing Director of Champrisa International, explained that they train farmers in best nutritional feeding practices that minimise farm expenditure and maximise returns on investment.

“We have so much to showcase to our customers, including cages, drinkers, incubators and feeds. Come and experience nutrition that will help you cut farm costs and maximise profits,” Magezi said.

During a passion fruit growing session, Bashir Mayiga encouraged youths, women and people with small plots of land to venture into the business and earn income.

Dr Patrick Ssekimpi, the President of the Dairy Farmers Network (DAFAN), said they had participated in the expo to share knowledge and experiences about dairy farming, especially on how farmers can best use locally available resources.

“DAFAN is a farmers’ group that trains members with practical experience, such as Dr Jolly Kabirizi, who has conducted a number of studies on animal feeding and management. Therefore, whoever is interested in dairy farming should not miss this expo,” he said.

The Harvest Money Expo was organised by Vision Group in partnership with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Other sponsors included Engineering Solutions (ENGSOL), Tunga Nutrition, Pearl Bank, Uganda Development Corporation and aBi Development.