Search for Uganda's best farmers is on!

Jan 25, 2018

The 2018 edition of the Best Farmer's competition is launched at Kiwenda in Wakiso district, with stakeholders pledging to continue support

AGRICULTURE

WAKISO -  Farmers across the country now have a chance to win farm inputs plus a fully sponsored study trip to The Netherlands, after the Best Farmer's 2018 competition was launched on Thursday.

"We are making a nationwide impact and are changing the image of agriculture in Uganda," Henk Jan Bakker, the ambassador of The Netherlands to Uganda, said while launching this year's edition of the contest in Wakiso district.

For the launch, Bakker was joined by several other guests, including sponsors and journalists, at the farm of Celia Kansiime, one of the 2016 winners.

"If you wake up everyday and believe you can do farming, have the business drive within you. Then you are eligible for the Best Farmers competition," the ambassador tipped at Mish Farm Ltd, Kiwenda.

As has been in the previous editions, the Vision Group-initiated contest is expected to attract a large pool of farmers from across the country. It is open to all farmers.

Vision Group Chief Executive Officer Robert Kabushenga was keen to underline the strides the competition has made.

"The first time we did this launch was in the boardroom with fruits on the table. Today we are in the farm with our overalls and are able to bring the public into people's farms. We are no longer sitting in broadrooms. We are talking to farmers and real people," he told guests.

"Thank you Celia for allowing us to host the launch here," Kabushenga added.

Meanwhile, the competition organisers will feel a strong sense of gratification from the fact that a new sponsor has come on board, as revealed by Bakker.

"We started the Best Farmers competition with four sponsors: KLM, an embassy, New Vision and dfcu. Now we have brought a sponsor who knows something about farming."

And that new sponsor is Koudijs Animal Nutrition, an organisation that focuses on the production, sales and services of complete animal feed, concentrates and premixes.

 

Earlier, Kansiime took her guests around her farm. They started off at the large poultry house, then the two green houses in which she grows tomatoes and sweet peppers.

Kansiime, who emerged among the top winners in the 2016 women's category of the annual farmers competition, said she is trying out passion fruits.

The competition

The competition does not consider farm enterprise or size, but rather puts emphasis on farm organisation and management, knowledge of farm, plus use of innovations.

It also looks at family contribution and continuity of enterprise, environment-smart practices, for example, land and water conservation, animal waste control, social impact, access to markets, post-harvest handling and value-addition.

Basically, farmers can nominate themselves or be nominated by others by sending their names to any of the Vision Group platforms countrywide. They include New Vision, Bukedde, Rupiny, Orumuri, Etop, Arua One radio and TV West.

Nominations can also be through e-mail to harvestmoney@newvision.co.ug. To nominate by SMS, type: Farmers [space] name of farmer and send to 8338.

After the nominations, farmers will be profiled on the various platforms. Thereafter, their stories will be forwarded to the judges for assessment.

A cash prize and a sponsored study tour to The Netherlands awaits the overall top winners.


More to follow . . .

at Mish Farm Ltd, Kiwenda.

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