Money from guinea fowls and rats!

SIR—When I read about how guinea fowls, edible rats, and mushrooms can be farmed, through various magazines notably the Baobab, and Spore, I was inspired to start the same farms on Kampala-Gulu highway in Uganda at a place called Kyamukonda in Nakasongola district. I am planning to start “Kyamukonda Roadside Market” to market the products of these farms to the travellers along the highway. However, before venturing into the said business, I initiated a talk about the same issue with the Local People of the place. Wonderfully enough the locals have vast ideas that I didn’t expect. When I asked them how we could trap the wild edible rats commonly known as emisu here in Uganda, they advised me to get the bone of the elephant, put some salt on it and dig a hole to work as a trap, and put the bone at the mouth of the one-and-a-half metre hole. After trapping the rat, transfer it to your well-built farm house, special for the rat and feed it. Do it again until you get a male and female farmed together. However, I am worried that in Uganda, elephants are no longer killed anyhow as in the past; I may fail to get the borne of the elephant. Perhaps I shall try with any other borne. If you know about edible rat farming, please advise me accordingly. Moses Byakagaba Rural Development Services P.O. Box 10761, Kampala Email:byakagaba@yahoo.com