Monitor Farm Clinic inspired Ayugi to open banana and poultry farms

Farmers and students take notes during the Mbarara Monitor Farm Clinic early this year . FILE PHOTO

What you need to know:

  • Catherine Ayugi, a banker with Opportunity Bank, Kampala is enjoying the fruits of Monitor Farm Clinics, writes Denis Bbosa

In starting up life changing projects, good decisions tend to lead to great achievements whereas bad decisions lead to disaster.
Catherine Ayugi, a novice farmer, who works with Opportunity Bank in Kampala, has chosen to follow Seed of Gold magazine and the Monitor Farm clinics for guidance in her growing farming venture in Mboga-Luweero.
“I’m the first person to venture into farming in my family. I was inspired to join the project by reading Seeds of Gold Magazine and watching On The farm program on NTV,” says Ayugi, who has since attended two Farm clinics at Kabanyolo and Nangabo.
“Last year at Kabanyolo, we learned poultry which impressed me into starting out a business. At Nangabo, we were given piggery lessons like construction of pig sty and feeding the animals cheaply. I’m going to this weekend’s Farm clinic at Kabanyolo to concentrate on banana production because I have already planted one acre of bananas on my 10-acreage land in Mboga- Luweero,” Ayugi said.

Abundant expectations
Ayugi, who has also planted two acres of eucalyptus, says she plans to increase her banana plantation to five acres soon if she gets the proper advice today from the expert facilitators and experienced farmers set to attend.
“I want to learn about other types of bananas apart from the Kisansa, Kibuzi, Mbawzirume, Mpologoma, Ndizzi, Gonja and Bogoya species that I have planted so far,” she reveals with great anticipation.
She intends to meet and share her experience with farmers who already have water drills on their farms to share knowledge how she can navigate through drought spells.
“I want to know how much it will cost me to set up a water pump on my large farm and also ask the experts how I can merge piggery to banana production like the stories of successful farmers I have been reading,” Ayugi, who now employs only one worker says. Even when her farming project is still in its nascent days (she started actual farming this year), challenges like commuting the ‘long’ distance from her work place in Kampala to Luweero and having no readily available water source tag along.
Advice to corporate farmers
“Even with a white collar job, someone with space should right away start farming because it is the way to go.
“I saved to buy the 10 acres and also got some small loans to do something I think will soon become income generating.”