Monitor Farm Clinic excites Bunyoro
Hoima. Thousands of farmers and leaders in Bunyoro Sub-region attended the Monitor 10th edition of the Seeds of Gold Farm Clinic at Bulindi Zonal Agricultural Research Development Institute (Zardi) in Kyabigambire Sub-county, Hoima District yesterday.
The Clinic excited residents of the oil-rich region where majority of the people derive their livelihood from agriculture.
“Your coming here is meant to prepare you to feed the demands of the oil industry. Unfortunately, many people are not ready to supply the huge agricultural market that has come as a result of oil,” Dr Sylvester Baguma, the director of Bulindi Zardi, said.
He said [National Agricultural Research Organisation] Naro wants to see a competitive society supported by agricultural innovation.
“We innovate for agricultural transformation in order to increase total agricultural productivity for inclusive growth,” Dr Baguma said.
Ms Joanitta Kamuli Babumba, the head of agriculture credit facility at Bank of Uganda, said the Seeds of Gold Farm clinics are skilling farmers and agro-processors with best practices in managing their agricultural enterprises.
“We believe in this value addition, which packages and nurtures farmers to make them more eligible for accessing financing by meeting the requirements of their banks,” Mr Babumba said.
She revealed that the agriculture credit facility, to date, has financed 426 eligible projects totaling to Shs268 billion.
“The function was a success. Hundreds of participants, including students, NGOs, local leaders and sponsors came eagerly to study new skills in modern farming,” Mr Charles Tabu, the Seeds of Gold magazine editor, said.
Ms Aminah Bukenya, the CNOOC Uganda senior spokesperson, said CNOOC is pleased to be part of the farm clinic.
“We call upon farmers to prepare themselves to tap opportunities in the oil and gas sector. The farmers should embrace the required standards and quality produce to supply the oil and gas camps, especially during the oil production period,” Ms Bukenya said.
Ms Elizabeth Namaganda, the Monitor Publications Ltd brand manager, urged farmers in the sub-region to embrace opportunities brought to them and carry out as much farming as possible to sustain the growing population.
“Bank of Uganda has already released funds under the agricultural credit facility at very low interest rates of 12 per cent to finance agricultural activities across the country and Naro is here to skill farmers,” she said.
