Final selection of best farmers starts

Nov 05, 2018

Now in its fifth year, the competition is organised by Vision Group, with support from the Embassy of the Netherlands, dfcu Bank, KLM Airlines and Koudjis Nutrition BV.

Winners of the Best Farmers Awards 2017 Isaac Malinga, Tom Anyii, and Julius Bigabwa take a group photo holding dummy cheques with the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga (4th R), Vision group CEO, Robert Kabushenga (R), Editor in Chief Barbra Kaija (second left), sponsors and judges during the Best Farmers Awards 2017 ceremony at the Vision Group head office on December 08 2017.
 
The 2018 Best Farmers competition has reached the final bend. Today, the judges will start a two-week tour of the country, visiting farmers who have made it onto the final list.
 
Now in its fifth year, the competition is organised by Vision Group, with support from the Embassy of the Netherlands, dfcu Bank, KLM Airlines and Koudjis Nutrition BV.
 
The winners share sh150m in form of farm equipment and a fully paid tour of the Netherlands. Since the competition started, it has so far
awarded 46 farmers.
 
"The competition has been stiff this year. We have so many good farmers. The decision will not be easy," Victoria Ssekitoleko, the chairperson of the judges' committee, said on Tuesday.
 
She explained that the committee had drawn three teams to visit the farmers on the final inspection tour.
 
"We have three teams. One team will cover the east (Busoga), Mideast (Bukedi, Bugisu and Sebei) and the northeast (Teso and Karamoja).
 
The second team will visit West Nile, North (Acholi) and mid-north (Lango), while the third group will go to the west (Bunyoro, Toro and Rwenzori) and southwest (Ankole and Kigezi).

 The three teams will then work together in the central region and in Kampala and Wakiso districts.
 
Ssekitoleko stressed that the contestants must be at their farms during the visit. "We shall give you a call before the visit, so make sure that you are at the farm when we come," she said. No second chance will be given to a farmer who fails to show
up.
 
Josephat Byaruhanga, one of the judges, said at least 60 farmers are going to be visited across the country.
 
"We shall visit five to six farmers in each of the 10 sub-regions demarcated for the competition," he said. From these, 10 best farmers will be selected in addition to three other farmers in the special category.
 
"This year, the special category is for farmers who add value to their products," added Byaruhanga, who represents the Embassy of The Netherlands.
 
The final 13 winners will be officially announced in December.
 
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