Farmers’ group to hold expo on commercial farming
What you need to know:
It will feature several key speakers and experts, in different fields, who will provide advice, highlight best practices and share experiences and lessons learned.
Farmers Network Uganda (FNU), which brings together different professionals with an interest in commercial farming, has organised a Farming Expo with the objective of linking different players, increasing interaction, as well as sharing information on how to make farming profitable through use of technology and innovation.
The one-day event will be held May 31 at UMA Show Grounds Lugogo, in Kampala, under the theme, “Farming as a profitable business”.
It will feature several key speakers and experts, in different fields, who will provide advice, highlight best practices and share experiences and lessons learned.
Tap available opportunities
These include Peter Chege, from New Technologies Uganda, who will discuss modern farming methods including irrigation; Dr Samuel Sewagudde, who will talk about making agriculture a profitable business; Fabian Kasi, managing director, Centenary Bank, who will elaborate issues to do with financing for agriculture; and Robert Kintu, from FIT Uganda, who will point out to the participants the market opportunities in agriculture.
“We shall show the participants the innovations and possibilities available in agriculture and how people can tap such opportunities.
Our partners will also highlight the production technologies available to make farming profitable as well as the sources of funding for commercial farmers,” says Charles Kulibaza Byanyima, FNU managing director.
He adds that the expo is intended to teach new methods of farming that can improve production to counter the ever increasing demand for food in the country and the region as a whole.
These include using farming methods such as irrigation, modern seeds, hydroponics, battery cages, and feed additives, among others.
It is expected that up to 2,000 people will attend the expo including the members, sponsors, exhibitors, and the general public. There will be an exhibition after the main presentations, where different exhibitors will display their different technologies, innovations and products.
A platform to learn
FNU was established in 2012 to link and support professionals from different fields that have a passion for and an interest in investing in commercial farming. It also provides a forum for them to share their experiences so that they can continue innovating and improving agricultural production.
“It also helps us attract the young professionals into agriculture by informing them that agriculture can be a very profitable business so that they get involved when they are still energetic,” Byanyima says.
The organisation further gives professionals a platform to learn better farming practices by acting as a hub of information on better agricultural practices.
