Desire to improve produce pushed Monday into farming

Jul 12, 2020

“I switched to coffee growing because maize is prone to drought, so we always suffered big losses. I am one of the pioneer coffee growers in Rushango,”

For the seventh year running, Vision Group together with the Embassy of the Netherlands, KLM Airlines, dfcu Bank and Koudjis Animal Nutrition, is running the Best Farmers' competition.

The 2020 competition will run from February to November, with the awards in December. Every week, Vision Group platforms will publish profiles of the farmers. Winners will walk away with sh150m and a fully paid-for trip to the Netherlands.

By Stephen Nuwagira

Monday Atanazio's journey into commercial farming was calculated. The model farmer with an eye on modern farming and value-addition started growing maize in the 1990s. He switched to coffee growing because, according to him, "the crop is not adversely affected by drought".

Currently, the resident of Katikamwe ‘A' village in Rushango town council, Ibanda district, grows coffee, his lead enterprise, as well as bananas and chilli.

The 55-year-old farmer also owns a coffee huller and a groundnuts sheller, as well as close to 100 acres of land. Starting out Monday started growing coffee 15 years ago on half-an-acre, where he planted 150 robusta trees. He bought each seedling at sh300 at the time.

"I switched to coffee growing because maize is prone to drought, so we always suffered big losses. I am one of the pioneer coffee growers in Rushango," he says.

Prior to 2016, when the coffee wilt disease affected the crop, he would earn sh16m per season. However, when part of the plantation, about four acres, was destroyed by the coffee wilt disease, Monday cut it down and instead planted bananas and chillies to diversify income streams.

He says a training by Feed the Future Uganda, through its Commodity Production and Marketing Activity (CPMA), and East African Community secretariat improved his post-harvest handling and also influenced him to venture into value-addition, processing coffee and groundnuts.

"I used to spend a lot of money transporting coffee to Ibanda town (20km away), where prices for the beans were low," Monday says.

Before he started agro-processing almost four years ago, Monday would earn sh10m from coffee per season, excluding costs such as labour, machinery and chemicals. This rose to sh13m when he started selling processed beans.

Maintenance of coffee n Prune each tree at least four times a year. Pruning helps remove excess branches which affect flowering. Only four branches are recommended per big coffee tree.

Spray the coffee regularly to keep away the twig borer. These can either synthetic or organic pesticides. n Mulch the plantation with wild grass, sorghum or maize stalks.

Uproot any diseased plants, heap them in one place and burn them. To control spread of diseases, sanitise the tools used on diseased coffee trees with bleach.

Spray the plantation each season to keep pests and diseases at bay.

Growing bananas

When part of the coffee plantation was affected by the coffee wilt disease over three years ago, Monday cleared it for commercial banana growing. The move surprised many in Rushango, where soils have lost fertility due to overuse.

Undeterred, Monday visited Sembabule district and Kyazanga in Lwengo district to learn from successful banana enterprises in these areas that are prone to drought.

"I learnt a lot from the farmers there. A few months later, I prepared a four-acre garden, where I planted about 950 banana suckers, 300 of which were donated by the government," he says.

Monday sourced the rest of the suckers from Buremba in Kazo district, which cost sh230,000. Monday grows four banana varieties - entaragaza, mbwazirume, kibuzi and mporogoma.

The project activities, including land preparation, labour, manure and buying planting materials cost over sh9m,which he had saved from mainly coffee sales.

Three years down the road, Monday harvested 120 bunches of bananas every fortnight, from about 70 during the initial harvests from the plantation.

A bunch of bananas currently goes for sh5,000 and he earns sh450,000 every two weeks from the banana venture, which is his second-leading enterprise.

Monday, who is the local farmers' association boss, says his goal is to produce best quality bananas with an

eye on value-addition and the export market.

He has encouraged other 12 residents to embrace banana growing.

"During the previous rainy season, I donated 1,000 suckers to farmers and also trained them on the basics of growing and looking after bananas. So, I am confident that within two years, our production will increase and enable us to market the bananas as a cooperative," he adds.

Why bananas Monday says he ventured into banana growing because they are both a cash and food crop. This secures one's financial health, in addition to promoting food security. He adds that the crop is not adversely affected by long dry spells like it is with maize and beans.

Marketing

Currently, Monday sells the bananas to Rwamwanja in Kamwenge, Ishongororo town and Kyengando in Ibanda district. Others are bought by locals. A big bunch of bananas costs sh5,000 to sh25,000.

Maintaining soil fertility

For many residents, Rushango is a barren and arid place that does not support the growing crops such as bananas. So, Monday had to employ new approaches to improve soil fertility in order to have a good yields. Therefore, before planting the banana suckers, Monday bought 42 trips of cow dung and added two of coffee husks from his factory.

"I would first mix the dark soil with the manure (cow dung and coffee husks) and let it to rest for a month before planting. Later, I also dug pits between the banana stools, measuring six by six feet and four feet deep that were refilled with a soil-manure mixture. I got the loam soil and mixed it with cow dung and coffee husks and then put it back in the pits. This provides the plantation enough nutrients to last up to three years," he says.

This enables the banana roots to stay underground, making the plants stronger compared to when manure is applied on the ground.

Monday's plantation is well-mulched to guard against soil erosion through which soil nutrients and minerals crucial for proper plant growth are lost.

DISEASE CONTROL

According to Monday, early pruning is key and one should ensure to remove the banana flower.

Weeding and mulching are essential to keep away weeds and maintain soil moisture. Use elephant grass, maize stalks, banana leaves or any other vegetative materials.

Mulching materials should not get close to the banana trees to avoid pests and diseases.

"Extension workers from Rushango town council always visit and guide me accordingly," he says.

GROWING CHILLIES

When another part of the coffee plantation got infected with the coffee wilt disease, Monday also cut it down and planted red chilli in September last year. acres. He is already reaping big from the crop that is covering five acres.

MARKETING

Monday says he plans to start exporting chilli to Europe through Earthcare Investment, a local horticulture export firm. He has already signed a one-year deal to supply the fi rm with two tonnes (2,000kg) of chillies every week.

"I am working with other farmers, who will provide 500kg as I supply 1,500kg," Monday says.

Currently, the chilli is being sold to buyers from Ibanda, who transport it to Kampala.

The agripreneur was able to clinch the lucrative deal with Earthcare Investment because of the quality production process at the farm. The firm will pay him sh25,000 for each crate of chillies compared to sh15,000 being offered by farmers on the open market.

Monday harvests 50 crates of chillies every week, from which he earns sh750,000. He is targeting 80 crates when the whole garden starts production soon.

He says he is working to get his

horticulture produce certifi ed by the agriculture ministry to export to Europe since only certifi ed fi rms and certified farmers are allowed to export to the EU market.

SUSTAINABILITY

For sustainability, Monday has ensured that all his seven children are involved in the production processes, including picking coffee and chilli, as well as record keeping.

"I have trained them on how to run the different enterprises and they all know what to do in case need arises," he says, adding that his wife, Medius Twinomujuni, is the second-in command.

Therefore, when I am away, I am not worried because I know that the business is in safe hands, he adds.

RECORD-KEEPING

Monday uses records to monitor his input and output processes.

He also writes down all the money that is paid to workers or suppliers and for pesticides, which helps him track his expenses.

He is also able to know the pesticides used during a given season.

"Record keeping helps me monitor performance and guides interventions and marketing strategies," he says.

It also helps him plan well and make a balance sheet for the projects, among others.

GAINING KNOWLEDGE

Monday says he consults agronomists at Rushango town council periodically and also visits farmers with similar enterprises to learn from them, which enables him to increase his knowledge and skills.

Monday, has, however, largely learnt the best practices for each of his enterprises through attending farmer trainings organised by the town council, the district and organisations such as Feed the Future Uganda, under its Commodity Production and Marketing Activity (CPMA) programme, which have also helped to sharpen his business acumen as a commercial farmer.

He also visits other farmers to learn from them and is always researching for new ways and recommended agronomical practices that will benefi t his farm.

CHALLENGES

Monday is challenged by drought and inadequate water sources. The farmer is going to build an irrigation system to solve the challenge.

High cost of labour, particularly for those that dig trenches and apply organic manure. Monday says he spends sh2m every time.

Land fragmentation in Rushango affects farming enterprises like coffee that require big chunks of land.

COVID-19 IMPACT

Monday says the COVID-19 pandemic affected his income as he would get fewer buyers for his bananas, leading to 300 bunches of bananas going to waste due to lack of market. He notes that this taught him that agro-processing was a key component of any farming enterprise.

"I am planning to secure driers so that we can dry and process the bananas into powder, which cannot be reserved for long," he adds.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Monday has acquired another 91 acres of land, adding on the six that he started out with.

From half-an-acre of coffee, he now has 30 acres.

He has been able to send his children to good schools. Three of whom are nurses, another one is in Senior Six, while others are in lower secondary and primary school.

Monday has a coffee processing plant to support his efforts of adding value to local produce. He also operates a shelling machine for groundnuts. Both projects have supported local farmers to gain more from the efforts.

He has over 100 goats that he keeps at a friend's farm.

Post-harvest handling

Pick only the red coffee beans.
Dry the beans on polythene for eight days during sunny periods and up to two weeks suring the rainy season to maintain quality and the ‘sweet' aroma of the beans.
Sort and take for processing when the coffee has attained the recommended 13% moisture content.

Removing broken or diseased beans helps to keep quality and aroma of the coffee.

GOLDEN TIPS

Select quality planting materials for better results.
Set targets and work toward achieving them through a welllaid- out plan.
Always have timely pruning and avoid having dry leaves in the banana plantation
Always do research to get more knowledge in your line of business.
 Value-addition is the way to go.
 Seek advice from other farmers and experts and avoid doing things on impulse. This will guard you against losses.