CNOOC, Bank of Uganda join Monitor Farm Clinic
Funding. (Left to right): The director BulindiZARDI, Dr Sylvester Baguma; MPL marketing manager Sarah Nalule; Bank of Uganda head of credit analysis and agricultural marketing, Rosette Bamwine; and Deputy Director Agricultural credit facility Bank of Uganda, Joanita Kamuli Babumba during a press conference at Monitor Publications head offices in Namuwongo, Kampala yesterday. PHOTO BY STEPHEN OTAGE
What you need to know:
- The second edition of the 2018 Monitor Farm Clinic will run under the theme Climate Smart Farming. This edition will focus on practical training on rice, piggery, maize, cassava and fish farming among others.
- Ms Sarah Nalule, the Monitor Publications Limited marketing manager, said the farm clinic will be hosted at the Bulindi Zonal Agricultural Research Development Institute (BulindiZARDI) on Saturday
Kampala. Bank of Uganda and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) are the latest entrants to support the Monitor Seeds of Gold farming project.
The Monitor Farm Clinic is aimed at promoting modern farming practices and technologies besides transforming the agriculture sector.
While announcing their contribution of Shs20m yesterday, Ms Joanita Kamuli Babumba, the BoU head of agricultural credit facility, said the Seeds of Gold project addresses the central bank’s efforts to bridge the financing gap targeting to enhance agricultural productivity and stimulate the country’s economic development.
“In 2009, Bank of Uganda set up the agricultural credit facility to support provision of medium and long term loans to projects engaged in commercialisation of agriculture, agro processing and mechanisation,” she said.
Benefiting from the project
Ms Babumba also noted that the Farm Clinic addresses needs of their target audience and will increase the loans borrowed by farmers.
According to Ms Jessica Kyeyune, the national content manager for CNOOC, the farming project offers skills which farmers can use to benefit from oil and gas projects which start next year.
“We expect 13,000 people to provide support services such as food catering to more than 100,000 staff in the sector,” she said.
Ms Kyeyune said Ugandans participating in the Farm Clinic will be tipped about opportunities available in the oil and gas sector and how they can benefit.
Ms Sarah Nalule, the Monitor Publications Limited marketing manager, said the farm clinic will be hosted at the Bulindi Zonal Agricultural Research Development Institute (BulindiZARDI) on Saturday. She said the decision was guided by feedback from previous farm clinics that recommended rotation of the programmes across the country in order for all farmers to benefit.
Dr Silvester Dickson Baguma, the regional director of BulindiZARDI, said they are delighted to partner with the Monitor Publications Limited and this will enable them disseminate their research and technology.
