Farmers get mini-tractors to boost yields

Farmers at Namyoya Village, Goma Division in Mukono District, recently received two mini-tractors to enable them cultivate larger pieces of land to increase their yields.

They are smaller in size compared to the bigger tractors, which makes it easier for the smallholder farmers to afford and operate it with ease.

The tractors were donated by Fr Lazaro Luyinda with assistance from his Italian friends. He says he saw a need where most farmers willing to increase yields yet they could not do it within their own means since they were still using equipment like hand hoes.

Cheaper and efficient
“When I identified the needs of the farmers in this village, I decided to go back to Italy where I met and explained to my friends who were willing to support them. They decided to donate to them mini-tractors which are easy to use, cheaper and are efficient,” Fr. Luyinda said.

According to Mr Andrew Stephen Okiria, the sales assistant at China Huangpai Food Machines Uganda, where the mini-tractors were bought, each uses three litres of diesel per acre. “If one learns how to use it effectively, it can cultivate an acre in two to three hours. They are also easy to operate,” he said.

One mini-tractor can do multiple other tasks depending on what the farmers want. “The same tractor can plough, plant, pump water and also be used as a carrier. It is just a matter of changing the parts, according to the need. A full set of a tractor goes for Shs12m,” he added.

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