Best farmers: Meet Dr. Tonny Kidega

AGRIBUSINESS

He was the most illustrious farmer, outstanding in all aspects that the competition is looking for- success, level of competency and dedication, efficiency, sustainability, trailblazing, inspirational example, plausibility.

Emerging from war-torn Northern Uganda, is most illuminating.

Tonny Kidega's farm is aesthetically well organized, clean, highly integrated, well-equipped (2 tractors, planter, manure spreader, silage chopper etc.), self-sustaining/serving (silage, filed manure fertilization, artificial insemination, vet services, cooler), and extremely well-managed farm.

On it are a 25 dairy herd kept and managed under highly intensive and hygienic conditions; and, in spite it being a dairy farm, there is no smell. The milking unit is fully equipped, with 2 vacuum milk units linked to the cooler, feeding units and resting shed that are cleaned twice a day.

The mooing of cows welcomes you to Kidega's 31- acre Gulu Uganda Dairy Farm in Gulu district. "My project is giving me good money and I think that everyone should learn from it. My intention is to inspire as many other people as possible," says the 34-year-old veterinary doctor.

Kidega earns sh200m gross income per year from dairy farming and employs over 40 people.

Gulu, where he set up his farm, is not a traditional cattle keeping area, but Kidega says this does not mean that commercial dairy farming cannot be practiced there. His farm is strategically located near River Aswa, which ensures sufficient water supply to irrigate the farm and cater for the animals. He has a wealth of knowledge about dairy keeping.

Courage, passion and determination are key in animal production, since the animals need a lot of attention and care to prevent infections, which he has successfully done.

Kidega offers free consultancy to farmers who live near his farm, which has helped improve the quality of the animals they breed. He helps them administer medicine to the animals and do cross-breeding at a low cost.

He has embraced technology and intends to make the farm a research centre for local farmers and institutions on animal production, and also improve the artificial insemination and embryo transfer technologies to a much larger scale using the knowledge and high quality breeds he acquired from Argentina.

His target is to improve animal breeds in the region and farmers are already taking up artificial insemination although they find embryo transplant a bit expensive which goes for between sh80, 000 and sh100, 000 per animal.