As it happened: Harvest Money Expo 2020 - Day One

HARVEST MONEY EXPO 2020: DAY ONE

Live reporting by Joseph Kizza

@joekizza 

(Scroll down page for earlier updates)

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5:00pm |   Day One done and dusted

That's all for the opening day of Harvest Money Expo 2020. Let's meet up tomorrow (Saturday).

 

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4:54pm |   A fruitful day it has been

From the evidence of what has transpired today, it's no doubt it has been a successful opening day of the this year's Harvest Money Expo.

 
There has been plenty of activity.

At some stalls, patrons have been offered samples of what is on show, like at the Aunt Porridge exhibition stall.

 

Many have walked away with seedlings to go harvest money . . .

 

Others have returned home keen on boosting their poultry ambitions . . .

 

It has been a day of learning for many visitors.

 

The expo is running until Sunday.

 

Each day has a series of training sessions conducted in different rooms designated for just that.

 

Many patrons make it a point of making appearance on all the days of the expo.

 

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4:37pm |   'Never seen anything like this'

 

This event [Harvest Money Expo] gives all actors in the agricultural sector an opportunity to share experiences and exchange information on agricultural products and services as well as to create a forum where farmers meet to showcase their products.

Uganda's economic growth and development outlook is positive, with the economy projected to grow at at least 7% in the medium term, but could even be higher given that we have now sorted out the key constraints to growth.


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4:17pm |   Nations deprived of food suffer hunger - Museveni

 

Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, the Prime Minister, represented President Yoweri Museveni at the opening of the Harvest Money Expo 2020. Here are excerpts from the President's speech:

I applaud the Vision Group for bringing us together to learn and showcase different products and available resources and technologies for us to advance the agricultural sector in our nation and region.

As you are aware, agriculture is one of the important sectors for Uganda's economy in terms of employment, food security and weatlh creation.

I applaud your effort towards ensuring that the changing climate and agricultural practices do not deprive us of food. Nations that are deprived of food suffer hunger, poverty and extreme levels of financial strain. To ensure food security in the current changing climate, we need to change to the use of fertilizers and shift from depending on the occasional erraticness of the rain to irrigation.


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3:45pm |   An expo for all ages

People of all ages have been drawn into the orbit of Namboole Stadium.

 

 

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3:37pm |   'Never seen anything like this'

Mega sizes on show at the expo.

Prime Minister @RuhakanaR and H.E @HenkJanBakker3 shocked by the size of Cassava harvested by one of the farmers at the #HarvestMoneyExpo.

"I've never seen anything like this..." said the Prime Minister.

📷: @TheTrayci pic.twitter.com/uDy8m7JooY

— The New Vision (@newvisionwire) February 14, 2020

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3:15pm |   The afternoon in pictures

Take a look at what's happening at Namboole.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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2:05pm |   Ndugu Rugunda, Kabushenga crack up

The Prime Minister, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, and Vision Group CEO Robert Kabushenga have shared something between them that has gotten them cracked up.

 
Wonder what the joke was here, ndugu . . .

 
This was shortly after taking a group photo after Rugunda's tour of the expo.

The Minister of State for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Bright Rwamirama (front row, 3rd-L) is also at the expo.

 

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1:40pm |   Busy first day at the expo

There is a lot going on here at Namboole. Traffic is to and fro, as interested patrons crane their necks to listen on to what the exhibitors are telling them.

The general vibe is: So far so good.

 

 

 

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1:21pm |   I am impressed - PM Rugunda

The Premier says he is impressed by what it happening here at the expo.

He jokingly calls Vision Group CEO Robert Kabushenga "a doctor and promoter of this crusade that started as a stand, then moved to a pavillion, now a village".

"I am happy to see the partnership of families like Naluyima's stall that has a husband, wife and children growing maggots, enabling poultry grow at a much faster rate," he says.

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1:05pm |   Rugunda launches research book on farming

The Prime Minister has launched a research book on farming by Dr. Joy Kabirizi, one of the influential farmers in Uganda.

 

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12:47pm |   Mega cassava excites PM Rugunda

Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda has officially launched the Harvest Money Expo 2020.

He has toured the exhibition stalls and once of them has gotten him particularly excited - the cassava one - very likely for its size.

 

 

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12:33pm |   Irrigation systems on show

We are seeing motorised sprayers at the expo. And the person demonstrating says they can be used to deal with the gregarious desert locusts.

 
There are also sprinklers and rain guns for small scale and large scale farming.

 

 

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12:17pm |   Fish farming, anyone?

There is also training on fish farming . . .

 

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11:56am |   Want to get into piggery?

Dr. Emma Naluyima took a large group through a morning training on piggery.

The next piggery session will be in the afternoon of the third day (Sunday).

 

 

 

 

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11:40am |   Waiting for the Premier

 

Earlier, officials, including Vision Group CEO Robert Kabushenga and Ambassador Henk Jan Bakker, mingled as they waited for the Prime Minister, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, to arrive for the official opening of this year's edition of the Harvest Money Expo.

 

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11:40am |   Camped at Namboole

Yours truly is stationed here under the Media Centre tent at Namboole. It is not very busy yet.

Saturday is usually the busiest day.

 

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11:25am |   Exhibition stalls are busy

Bukonte Farm and Cottages Training Centre stall is one of the points of interest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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10:49am |   Morning training sessions under way

Day One kicked off with the following morning training sessions:

• Coffee by Edward Lutakome and Dr. Godfrey Kagezi from NARO

• Piggery by Dr. Emma Naluyima and Christopher Mulindwa

• Fish farming by Ali Kiyaga and Dr. Oworo Wadunde from NARO

• Goat keeping by Grace Bwogi and Dr. James Muwanga


The pictures below have been taken inside Dr. Bwogi's session (goat keeping).

 

All the trainees are taking down notes . . .

 

. . . keenly listening in on the trainer's presentation.

 

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10:35am |   Free Harvest Money Expo guide

Get your free Harvest Money Expo guide in today's New Vision if you are in Kampala and in Saturday Vision if you are upcountry.

 

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10:28am |   Meeting point for farmers, suppliers

The primary beneficiary of the expo are farmers, individuals and businesses within the supply chain. The three-day event is a meeting point for farmers and suppliers in the agriculture value chain.

Government and the private sector also get an opportunity to interface with agribusiness entities and farmers, as they share successful experiences, possibilities as well as challenges within the sector.

Training sessions in various agricultural categories will be conducted each day of the event.

The emphasis in the 2020 expo will be standards, processes and markets as some of the factors that are key to successful commercial farming.

The entrance fee daily is sh10,000 and 10,000 for training sessions.

 

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10:15am |   Prime Minister to grace expo

At 11am, The Netherlands ambassador to Uganda, Henk Jan Bakker, and Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda are expected to arrive at Namboole to officially launch the exhibition.

Meanwhile, if you are interested in avocado, a truckful of its seedlings have been brought here at Namboole.

 

The poultry lovers are also catered for . . .

 

Tractors are one of the expo items that attract a lot of interest.

 

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10:05am |   A target of 35,000

After seeing as many as 28,000 people walk through the Namboole gates last year, the target this time round is 35,000 - so as both the exhibitors and sponsors can benefit even more.

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9:51am |   Banana bunch under arrest?

No, it's not what you are thinking . . .

 

Exhibitors are all set up . . .

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8:45am |   Had a taste of sour banana wine?

There is plenty on show here . . .

Have you tasted wine from sour bananas?

Rwakabale Bintason Benedict, chairman Kasunga Nyanja Banana farmers cooperative talks about Value addition from farming.

Visit the NAADS stall at the #HarvestMoneyExpo & get tips on how to make wine out of bananas.

📷: @TheTrayci pic.twitter.com/Xnh43tyKhh

— The New Vision (@newvisionwire) February 14, 2020

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8:19am |   'A calender event'

Meanwhile, we are having a morning shower today.

This is the biggest agriculture exhibition on the land, and with its return has come the promise of huge discounts for buyers who will attend the show - going by what the main sponsors said.

 

The launch of this edition - the fourth - happened towards the middle of last month at the Vision Group head office in Kampala, during which CEO Robert Kabushenga talked of the multi-media organisation's delight to get this year's expo rolling.

"It has become a calendar event for most farmers," he said at the time, adding that the show has grown into "the biggest match-making agricultural expo in Uganda".

 

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8:13am |   Itinerary of a packed three days

So thousands of people, including exhibitors, sponsors and the general public, are expected to be drawn into the orbit of Namboole Stadium across the coming 72 hours.

And going by the experience in past editions, it is going to be a busy three days - Friday, Saturday and Sunday - at the hundreds of exhibition stalls and inside the designated training rooms.

This edition has value addition as its focus as the concept of value addition is considered important in opening markets for farmers and producers.

All training sessions will include aspects of value addition.

Check out the programme for the trainings:

 

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7:52am |   . . .  as well as a day to harvest money

While you are trying to find your place in someone's heart, you can also find us at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole, where this year's Harvest Money Expo gets under way today.

For three consecutive days, we are going to be camped here for the biggest exhibition on the land.

 

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7:45am |   A day to harvest some love . . .

Happy Valentine's Day everyone.