What farmers say
May 31, 2011
<b>Which crops can I grow to get fees?</b><br>Editor - I am a 19-year-old student. Which crops can I grow to get money to pay for my studies. <br>Judith Nnatoolo
Which crops can I grow to get fees?
Editor - I am a 19-year-old student. Which crops can I grow to get money to pay for my studies.
Judith Nnatoolo
Editor’s note: You need to grow a low maintenance crop that will not take too much of your time and resources like the pawpaw. From one pawpaw fruit, you can get hundreds of seeds which, if well looked after, will give you all the seedlings you need to start a pawpaw garden. If looked after well, a pawpaw tree will start giving you fruits after one year or even less. In a year, one pawpaw tree will give you between 30-50 fruits. Sold at sh500 each, that is an income of between sh15,000 – sh25,000 a year from just one pawpaw tree. Supposing you had 100 trees?
Can biogas be compressed in cans?
Editor – On May 17, I read an article about Nusura Sewannonda who is using biogas to earn a fortune. This reminded me of a course unit (Biogas Technology) I did at Makerere University. I did Bachelor of Animal Production Technology and Management and completed in 2009. Now I work as a sub-county National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) coordinator, Awelo sub-county, Amolatar district. Biogas is cheap and affordable for our local farmers. I have both theoretical and practical knowledge about this. Uganda has many graduates like me, who should be promoting biogas use among farmers as a way of protecting our environment. Our challenge now is, biogas is not considered a business enterprise; most farmers want to invest in what they can earn money from. If biogas could be compressed like any other gas and sold in cans, I think I would be the first Ugandan to take it up as a business venture. But at the moment biogas can only be used where it is manufactured. So my question is; has any one carried out research and found that it can now be compressed? If not, is there any organisation willing to sponsor more research on biogas?
BRUNO SSERUNKUMA AKEJO
0773896944
Shade more light on ‘plant tea’
Editor – I request you to shade more light on plant tea which appeared in the May 17 edition. Is it the green tea leaves (majaani) we use for our tea? Where can I find it?
Samuel Lubega,
Kampala
Editor’s note: Plant tea is not made with the usual tea leaves (majaani). It is made using plant material soaked in water for a long time. One of the best plants for making plant tea is Russian comfrey, normally fed to chicken. To see plant tea, you can visit an organic farmer or a farmer training centre like Katende Harambe (Namugongo) or Kasenge Organic Farm at Kasenge-Mbalala, Naama sub-county off Jinja road after Mukono. Look out for an article on how to make plant tea in next week’s Harvest Money.
How can I access a cheap bio-digester?
Editor - I am a beginner small scale farmer in Wakiso, mainly involved in pig rearing, poultry and crop production, but with a vision of further expansion.
However, I do not have electricity at home, a challenge (for light and heat), especially during brooding of chicks. Nusura Sewanonda’s story on bio-technology inspired me a lot. How can I access a cheap bio-digester and the relevant bio-technology information? How much money does an average/low income earner need for a small scale bio-digester? May you please provide me with telephone contacts for people already enjoying the technology (for example Sewanonda of Mukono).
Henry Ngada-Kira
0702 215 154
ngada.henry@yahoo.com
Editor’s note: Harvest Money has passed on your questions to bio-gas experts and will soon get back to you with the relevant information.
Who was that mango farmer?
Editor – With reference to last week’s Harvest Money pull out, I would like you to help me get in touch with the farmer who appeared harvesting good fruits from a short mango tree. The picture was on page 31 in the Backyard Farming corner.
Sarah Louise
Ndagire K
Editor’s note: The mango farmer in the picture is John Bagada of Masindi. His contact is 0772 98 51 70
I want to meet Ajedra
Editor – On May 17, you profiled Emmanuel Ajedra, a progressive fruit farmer in Arua, who is also investing in fruit processing. Kindly enable me to get more details about him and link up with him, because I have more to share with him.
0772 369 696
tukeisam@yahoo.com
Editor’s note: Ajedra’s contact is 0772373692
Editor - I am a 19-year-old student. Which crops can I grow to get money to pay for my studies.
Judith Nnatoolo
Editor’s note: You need to grow a low maintenance crop that will not take too much of your time and resources like the pawpaw. From one pawpaw fruit, you can get hundreds of seeds which, if well looked after, will give you all the seedlings you need to start a pawpaw garden. If looked after well, a pawpaw tree will start giving you fruits after one year or even less. In a year, one pawpaw tree will give you between 30-50 fruits. Sold at sh500 each, that is an income of between sh15,000 – sh25,000 a year from just one pawpaw tree. Supposing you had 100 trees?
Can biogas be compressed in cans?
Editor – On May 17, I read an article about Nusura Sewannonda who is using biogas to earn a fortune. This reminded me of a course unit (Biogas Technology) I did at Makerere University. I did Bachelor of Animal Production Technology and Management and completed in 2009. Now I work as a sub-county National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) coordinator, Awelo sub-county, Amolatar district. Biogas is cheap and affordable for our local farmers. I have both theoretical and practical knowledge about this. Uganda has many graduates like me, who should be promoting biogas use among farmers as a way of protecting our environment. Our challenge now is, biogas is not considered a business enterprise; most farmers want to invest in what they can earn money from. If biogas could be compressed like any other gas and sold in cans, I think I would be the first Ugandan to take it up as a business venture. But at the moment biogas can only be used where it is manufactured. So my question is; has any one carried out research and found that it can now be compressed? If not, is there any organisation willing to sponsor more research on biogas?
BRUNO SSERUNKUMA AKEJO
0773896944
Shade more light on ‘plant tea’
Editor – I request you to shade more light on plant tea which appeared in the May 17 edition. Is it the green tea leaves (majaani) we use for our tea? Where can I find it?
Samuel Lubega,
Kampala
Editor’s note: Plant tea is not made with the usual tea leaves (majaani). It is made using plant material soaked in water for a long time. One of the best plants for making plant tea is Russian comfrey, normally fed to chicken. To see plant tea, you can visit an organic farmer or a farmer training centre like Katende Harambe (Namugongo) or Kasenge Organic Farm at Kasenge-Mbalala, Naama sub-county off Jinja road after Mukono. Look out for an article on how to make plant tea in next week’s Harvest Money.
How can I access a cheap bio-digester?
Editor - I am a beginner small scale farmer in Wakiso, mainly involved in pig rearing, poultry and crop production, but with a vision of further expansion.
However, I do not have electricity at home, a challenge (for light and heat), especially during brooding of chicks. Nusura Sewanonda’s story on bio-technology inspired me a lot. How can I access a cheap bio-digester and the relevant bio-technology information? How much money does an average/low income earner need for a small scale bio-digester? May you please provide me with telephone contacts for people already enjoying the technology (for example Sewanonda of Mukono).
Henry Ngada-Kira
0702 215 154
ngada.henry@yahoo.com
Editor’s note: Harvest Money has passed on your questions to bio-gas experts and will soon get back to you with the relevant information.
Who was that mango farmer?
Editor – With reference to last week’s Harvest Money pull out, I would like you to help me get in touch with the farmer who appeared harvesting good fruits from a short mango tree. The picture was on page 31 in the Backyard Farming corner.
Sarah Louise
Ndagire K
Editor’s note: The mango farmer in the picture is John Bagada of Masindi. His contact is 0772 98 51 70
I want to meet Ajedra
Editor – On May 17, you profiled Emmanuel Ajedra, a progressive fruit farmer in Arua, who is also investing in fruit processing. Kindly enable me to get more details about him and link up with him, because I have more to share with him.
0772 369 696
tukeisam@yahoo.com
Editor’s note: Ajedra’s contact is 0772373692