Varsity graduate who opted to go farming
Oct 28, 2009
MOSTyoung people after graduating from universities storm the streets holding kkaki envelops looking for jobs. <br>But Bob Kamba, 30, a resident of Rwengaju village in Kabarole district does not know any pain of looking for a job.
By Hope Mafaranga
MOSTyoung people after graduating from universities storm the streets holding kkaki envelops looking for jobs.
But Bob Kamba, 30, a resident of Rwengaju village in Kabarole district does not know any pain of looking for a job.
Kamba says after attaining his degree in Business Administration from Ndeje University, he went back to his village in Kabarole district and started planting avocado trees to earn a living. He says he started with 70 trees.
Kamba says when he told his friends he graduated with that he was heading back to the village to start farming, most of them thought he had run mad. Others said he lacked focus.
“My friends laughed at me, while others wanted to take me to Butabika hospital because they thought I was running mad. But now I am much better than most of them,†he says.
The youthful farmer says that in a period of three years, he was harvesting 30 sacks of avocados earning him about sh250,000 per month.
“Some of my colleagues were still looking for jobs by the time I started earning sh250,000 and I was earning what they could dream about,†he says.
Kamba says that the skills he attained from the university he wanted to use and practice commercial farming.
Kamba’s main enterprise is matooke, which he says earns him sh1.8m per month.
He says he does not incur expenses of transporting the food because buyers find him at his farm.
He started with nine acres of land where he planted avocado and eggplants.
He says he chose to grow vegetables and fruits because they are cheap and there is ready market for them.
“People are resorting to eggplants and greens because they are affordable, nutritious and easy to cook,†Kamba explains.
He says that he earns sh900,000 per month from vegetables. Since 2005, Kamba has planted 200 paw-paw trees, 1000 passion fruits, and 400 trees of avocados.
Kamba also practices mixed enterprises. He planted 500 stems of bogoya which earns him sh800,000 per month and has plans of exporting it to Nairobi Kenya. Kamba says he collects more that sh46m from his farming activities per year.
Kamba has also invested in piggery. He says he has spent over sh3m to build piggery houses.
He says he expects to get more than sh4m from the pigs when the project kicks off in December this year.
Kamba has invested the money he gets from his Fort Portal gardens in another piece of land in Namugongo in Kampala. He says urban farming is profitable and it has a ready market.
“Urban farming is very profitable because food stuffs in towns are more expensive compared to the village markets,†he noted.
Kamba also plans to plant trees in order to increase his income.
MOSTyoung people after graduating from universities storm the streets holding kkaki envelops looking for jobs.
But Bob Kamba, 30, a resident of Rwengaju village in Kabarole district does not know any pain of looking for a job.
Kamba says after attaining his degree in Business Administration from Ndeje University, he went back to his village in Kabarole district and started planting avocado trees to earn a living. He says he started with 70 trees.
Kamba says when he told his friends he graduated with that he was heading back to the village to start farming, most of them thought he had run mad. Others said he lacked focus.
“My friends laughed at me, while others wanted to take me to Butabika hospital because they thought I was running mad. But now I am much better than most of them,†he says.
The youthful farmer says that in a period of three years, he was harvesting 30 sacks of avocados earning him about sh250,000 per month.
“Some of my colleagues were still looking for jobs by the time I started earning sh250,000 and I was earning what they could dream about,†he says.
Kamba says that the skills he attained from the university he wanted to use and practice commercial farming.
Kamba’s main enterprise is matooke, which he says earns him sh1.8m per month.
He says he does not incur expenses of transporting the food because buyers find him at his farm.
He started with nine acres of land where he planted avocado and eggplants.
He says he chose to grow vegetables and fruits because they are cheap and there is ready market for them.
“People are resorting to eggplants and greens because they are affordable, nutritious and easy to cook,†Kamba explains.
He says that he earns sh900,000 per month from vegetables. Since 2005, Kamba has planted 200 paw-paw trees, 1000 passion fruits, and 400 trees of avocados.
Kamba also practices mixed enterprises. He planted 500 stems of bogoya which earns him sh800,000 per month and has plans of exporting it to Nairobi Kenya. Kamba says he collects more that sh46m from his farming activities per year.
Kamba has also invested in piggery. He says he has spent over sh3m to build piggery houses.
He says he expects to get more than sh4m from the pigs when the project kicks off in December this year.
Kamba has invested the money he gets from his Fort Portal gardens in another piece of land in Namugongo in Kampala. He says urban farming is profitable and it has a ready market.
“Urban farming is very profitable because food stuffs in towns are more expensive compared to the village markets,†he noted.
Kamba also plans to plant trees in order to increase his income.