Hundreds of farmers attend Monitor Farm Clinic

The seventh Monitor Seeds of Gold farm clinic has on Saturday attracted hundreds of farmers and agro businesses owners at Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute Kabanyoro.

Participants from different parts of the country converged to get practical knowledge on piggery, beans, diary, bananas and coffee management.

The theme of the clinic is Climate Smart Farming. It was chosen because of the recent environmental challenges the world is facing that have also affected agriculture.

According to experts at the clinic, good farming practices can combat the effects of climate change and limit it. One of the facilitators, Dr Settumba Mukasa said farmers can deal with different crop diseases like  Sigatoka which makes leaves whither by pruning, and planting their crops in a straight line so as to keep account for each plant.

Meanwhile, Dr Constantine Bakyusa Katongole who facilitated the dairy session spoke about milk yields and advised farmers to always look at the history of a cow’s milk production before buying them from fellow farmers.

Farmers have also been asked to take dairy farming as a business not a hobby and should not get too attached to cows and fail to sell them off when they are not productive.

Participants at the clinic say, they are looking forward to gaining skills.

Mr Alex Kiwanuka, of Farmville Uganda said he is looking to get farming skills. “I personally expect to acquire some knowledge from other experts who are going to be at the workshop so that I can use it to improve myself,” he said.

Mr Richard Ssenoga, the Mpigi town council chairman said he would share the knowledge from the clinic with farmers’ groups in Mpigi.

Reported by Flora Aduk, Godfrey Lugaaju and Sarah Aanyu