Musinguzi talks apples, their pie, juice, crisps and wine

When I arrived at Bwindi-Kihembe farm in Kanungu district, it was a sunny and rainy day. An expanse of land where Mr Cleophas Tumuhimbise supervised the planting of apple trees five years ago lay before me. In June and July, the branches were heavy with fruit, each tree carrying 300 apples on average. So, I was too early for the next harvest.

“We are now staking the trees so that they receive enough sunlight,” Mr Tumuhimbise says.

“The sunlight helps in flowering. We are already starting to see fruits. In three weeks, they will be more visible but will not be ready until December and January, which is the next harvest season.”

The orchard was nothing like I had seen before. They were five acres of land, each acre dotted with 380 mature trees. More trees had just been planted on 45 acres of land. In Tumuhimbise’s assessment, the farm was doing very well. Yes, there were pests and diseases but he had them under control. There was something scientific about the growth of these apple trees, from the seed bed preparation to the harvest.

“We apply all agronomic practices required for production. The holes must be 2 feet by 2 feet. You have to mix the top soil and organic manure such as cow dung. Then you plant, when it is 2 feet from the ground, chop the auxiliary bud so that you get more buds. Bend some to get branches and one should continue as the main stem. At one and a half feet, chop it….” Mr Tumuhimbise explained. But what would he want with apples?

Mr Jotham Musinguzi, is the proprietor of these neat rows of apple trees that this farm manager so diligently looks after.

He worked for over 15 years as director for the Population Secretariat, a period in his life where he played an advocacy role on matters of reproductive health, family planning and population.

That job led him into retirement, a different phase of life he was unsure how to spend. He had been involved in small scale coffee growing but realised he would not reap much in retirement. Plus, it was not very engaging. His friend thought growing apples on the family land in Kanungu district was the smart thing to do. Besides, apples have grown in Kabale for the last 20 years and the terrain is similar to Kanungu’s.

The 70-year-old also says having eaten apples for the last 20 years at the advice of a medical doctor, the decision got easier to make.

“I found out that the story from apples looked better than coffee’s. When I had done my homework which involved knowing whether the apples can grow in Kanungu and after how long I would get some money, I decided to plant apples using National Social Security Fund (NSSF) benefits,” Mr Musinguzi says.

Retiring earlier
Retirement from government work is at 60 years. But he left work at 58. His calculation was that he needed to save up some energy to run his projects. Along the way, he discovered he would need a formal job even in retirement. That is how he landed a job as regional director for Partners in Population and Development.

“Life after retirement is challenging especially if you have been receiving a monthly salary,” Mr Musinguzi says.

“There was need for me to get something that keeps me busy but also gives an extra income.”

As he wove his fortune around NSSF, his application arrived in 2014 after which he received Shs70m. That was enough to plant five acres, buy seedlings worth Shs18m, purchase chemicals, bring in technical farm managers from Kabale, run the daily operations and expand the orchard gradually. Within two years of planting, there was fruit to harvest and to sell between Shs500 and Shs1,000 each.

While he has been trying to get the most out of the orchard, he has come face to face with the realities of farming as a business. The apples grown on his farm are succulent and tend to perish faster than those in Kabale. Harvesting and transportation are done with care not to damage fruits.

The family business’ challenge has been finding a market for the apples. They are exploring the idea of supermarkets but apples imported from South Africa pose serious competition and fetch higher prices because they are packaged better, he says while thinking of playing catchup.

“The market is in Kampala; so we have to transport them quickly from Kanungu. Some go into supermarkets but majority is sold in open markets before being taken to areas outside Kampala,” Mr Musinguzi says.

To beat competition, plans are underway to bring apple pie, juice, crisps and wine to the market.

“We have approached Makerere and it is going to help us improve the fruit juice to stay longer, look better and taste better. We are using solar technology in the village to dry apple crisps and then pack them. We are working with a local winery processor to produce red and white wine from apples. From what we have tasted, the red wine is coming on very well and we shall wait for seven more months,” Mr Musinguzi says.

The orchard has already made a bit of impact on the community. Harvest season attracts 40 workers. Three quarters of workers are women. It has also made a bit of money for the retiree.

In the last harvest season, Mr Musinguzi bagged a profit of Shs70m. He would want to get Shs85m in the December-January season given that apple trees bear more fruit as they age.

He expects to consolidate on his operations and expand his apple farm to be the biggest in East Africa once he wins the NSSF Friends with Benefits contest.

“I have put 45 acres and the apple trees are still young. With 60 acres, we shall be the best in East Africa,” Mr Musinguzi says.

“I am willing to go on and invest more because I have a life to leave. My family is running the show with me and the apples will be there for 100 years.”

The money from NSSF presented a golden opportunity. Not only was it but it was also received at a time of uncertainty. To him, savers should not wait too long to receive their benefits. But also, those who advocate to receive it at 45 years have to understand that they have to be strategically ready for it.

“You need to be ready. “You must have an agenda that is sustainable,” he says.

To vote for Jotham Musinguzi in the NSSF Friends with Benefits competition, dial *254# or go to www.nssfug.org”