Miss Uganda contestants learn about agriculture
Top, one of the beauty pageant contestants waters plants in a greenhouse. Above, the contestants pose in one of the fields. PHOTO BY GIULIO MOLFESE
In a bid to interest more young people into agriculture, the Miss Uganda Foundation organised a boot-camp at the National Crops Resources Research Institute-Namulonge.
The boot-camp is part of the search process and was conducted from June 22 to June 26, with support from Uganda Biosciences Information Centre.
The week-long intensive training for the beauty queens involved introduction to basic crops’ agronomy for key crops such as maize, beans, cassava, rice, and fruits.
Also, the contestants were introduced to advanced techniques used in crop breeding such as agricultural biotechnology.
They got basics on tissue culture, molecular biology, and how they were being used to improve crops.
While addressing the contestants at the tissue culture laboratory, the head of the root crops programme, Dr Titus Alichai, appreciated the organisers’ focus on agriculture.
Positive ambassadors
He noted that the young people comprised the largest majority of Uganda’s population, and interesting them in agriculture was a step in the right direction.
Dr Alichai further urged the beauty queens to be positive ambassadors to their communities, on what they learnt at the institute.
Juliana Nabwowe, one of the contestants appreciated how enlightening the boot-camp was in learning about agriculture.
“I have learnt that there are modern ways of improving crops like using tissue culture,” she said.
For other contestants such as Miss Safinah Nakitende who was already doing farming, it was a chance to learn more about better ways of growing crops. “In addition to what I knew about maize farming, I have learnt about modern ways of growing maize and its various types plus how to properly take care of it”.
A total of 21 girls are taking part in the contest with the final winners to be announced on July 10.
The outgoing Miss Uganda, Leah Kalanguka, has spent most of her reign urging the young people to embrace agriculture as a business. She is a mushroom grower and rears poultry as well.
Janet Nalugya, the coordinator for the Miss Uganda pageant, noted that their focus on beauty broadened from being not only about looks, but with a purpose as well.
“In the last five years, we have had a keen emphasis on agriculture, as a way of positively changing young peoples’ mindsets about the enterprise,” she noted.
She revealed that the theme on agriculture will still run for the subsequent beauty contests.
In their own words
Diana Nabimanya: “Agriculture being the Uganda’s backbone, I am excited to share that at this research center, most problems facing the agricultural industry, in this case the farmers, modern agriculture has come with solutions like breeding, planting disease resistant crops among other.”
Zahara Muhammed Nakiyaga: “Since my family grows cassava, I now know that cassava stems should not be brought from one garden to another however good, for this leads to the spread of diseases from one garden to another.”
Immaculate Ijang: “I must say that biotechnology must be embraced by all Ugandans. This because it gets us exposed to a variety of improved crops.”
Bridget Sanyu: “I have learnt that biosciences can play a very huge role in improving the production of agricultural products.”
Barbara Namuddu: “Let us change our attitude towards agriculture. Agriculture is not a poor man, agriculture is beautiful, and it can help us earn a living.”
