27-year-old reaps with oranges
Jul 21, 2010
DEO Tumusange is the leading orange farmer in the newly created district of Kyegegwa. The 27-year-old, a resident of Kisamura village in Kakabara sub-county in Kyegegwa district, decided to start farming after his parents failed to raise money for his tuition after completing his A- levels in 2005.
By Hope Mafaranga
DEO Tumusange is the leading orange farmer in the newly created district of Kyegegwa.
The 27-year-old, a resident of Kisamura village in Kakabara sub-county in Kyegegwa district, decided to start farming after his parents failed to raise money for his tuition after completing his A- levels in 2005.
Tumusange says that he was angry for failing to join his dream university, Makerere, and this pushed him to change his life through farming.
“I was hurt when my parents failed to raise money to send me to the university due to money constraints. So I decided to start farming so I could change my life and uplift the income of my family,†he says.
In December 2006, Tumusange visited a prominent farmer, Peterson Nyombi, in Mityana district and acquired knowledge and skills which marked the beginning of his farming career.
Tumusange discloses that he bought two orange plants at sh5,000 each from Nyombi and planted the seeds on four acres of his father’s land.
From then on, Nyombi became his source of seedlings and Tumusange has now planted over 17,000 oranges.
His main enterprise is orange. He owns 17,000 orange trees on four acre of land. Tumusange says that he earns sh1m per month from oranges which earns him sh12m per year.
He adds that he gets good income from passion fruits, paw-paw and tangerine each project earns him sh7m per year. Other than growing oranges, Tumusange has also trained 30 youth to engage in orange farming.
“I am training fellow youth to engage in productive activities and I want to see all the youth in my parish earning money and I know it’s the only way we can fight poverty among the youth,†he adds.
Tumusange also encourages youth who dropped out of school not to lose hope but make themselves useful.
“Dropping out of school has not stopped me from succeeding in farming and I am a living example,†he counsels.
From farming, the youthful farmer says, he has been able to pay school fees for his siblings and sustain his family.
He has also bought 20 acres of land to expand on his farming activities and plans to plant 20,000 more oranges by 2013.
Tumusange now boasts of a nursery bed where he picks seedlings for planting and also sells some to the Abatwege Kisamura Tweyimukye Tukore youth group.
Tumusange has also benefited from the National Agricultural Advisory Services which supported him to start a piggery project.
Tumusange believes that mixing enterprises will give him more money and his target is to have 100 pigs at the end of 2012. Tumusange’s challenges include poor road network, unpredictable weather patterns, lack of market and lack of water points for his plants.
“My biggest challenge is water since I am in a drought corridor and my project needs too much water to get a good harvest,†he says. Tumusange says the NAADS coordinator, Patrick Muhenda regularly comes to visit him advises him on his piggery project.
FACT FILE:
Name: Deo Tumusange
Location: Kisamura village, Kakabara sub-county, Kyegegwa district.
Enterprises: Oranges, paw-paw, tangerine, passion fruits & piggery.
Contact: 0783-347-210
DEO Tumusange is the leading orange farmer in the newly created district of Kyegegwa.
The 27-year-old, a resident of Kisamura village in Kakabara sub-county in Kyegegwa district, decided to start farming after his parents failed to raise money for his tuition after completing his A- levels in 2005.
Tumusange says that he was angry for failing to join his dream university, Makerere, and this pushed him to change his life through farming.
“I was hurt when my parents failed to raise money to send me to the university due to money constraints. So I decided to start farming so I could change my life and uplift the income of my family,†he says.
In December 2006, Tumusange visited a prominent farmer, Peterson Nyombi, in Mityana district and acquired knowledge and skills which marked the beginning of his farming career.
Tumusange discloses that he bought two orange plants at sh5,000 each from Nyombi and planted the seeds on four acres of his father’s land.
From then on, Nyombi became his source of seedlings and Tumusange has now planted over 17,000 oranges.
His main enterprise is orange. He owns 17,000 orange trees on four acre of land. Tumusange says that he earns sh1m per month from oranges which earns him sh12m per year.
He adds that he gets good income from passion fruits, paw-paw and tangerine each project earns him sh7m per year. Other than growing oranges, Tumusange has also trained 30 youth to engage in orange farming.
“I am training fellow youth to engage in productive activities and I want to see all the youth in my parish earning money and I know it’s the only way we can fight poverty among the youth,†he adds.
Tumusange also encourages youth who dropped out of school not to lose hope but make themselves useful.
“Dropping out of school has not stopped me from succeeding in farming and I am a living example,†he counsels.
From farming, the youthful farmer says, he has been able to pay school fees for his siblings and sustain his family.
He has also bought 20 acres of land to expand on his farming activities and plans to plant 20,000 more oranges by 2013.
Tumusange now boasts of a nursery bed where he picks seedlings for planting and also sells some to the Abatwege Kisamura Tweyimukye Tukore youth group.
Tumusange has also benefited from the National Agricultural Advisory Services which supported him to start a piggery project.
Tumusange believes that mixing enterprises will give him more money and his target is to have 100 pigs at the end of 2012. Tumusange’s challenges include poor road network, unpredictable weather patterns, lack of market and lack of water points for his plants.
“My biggest challenge is water since I am in a drought corridor and my project needs too much water to get a good harvest,†he says. Tumusange says the NAADS coordinator, Patrick Muhenda regularly comes to visit him advises him on his piggery project.
FACT FILE:
Name: Deo Tumusange
Location: Kisamura village, Kakabara sub-county, Kyegegwa district.
Enterprises: Oranges, paw-paw, tangerine, passion fruits & piggery.
Contact: 0783-347-210