Embrace urban farming, say experts

The Minister of Agriculture, Mr Frank Tumwebaze, addresses the Edible Cities conference on November 10. Photo | Lominda Afedraru

What you need to know:

  • Mr Emmanuel Aturinda, the director of Hunger Fighting in Uganda (HFU), says there is need to embrace technological ways of food production given the growing population.

Experts have asked urban dwellers to embrace urban farming in order to increase household income and food security.

Mr Emmanuel Aturinda, the director of Hunger Fighting in Uganda (HFU), says there is need to embrace technological ways of food production given the growing population.

 He calls for embracing technologies such as aquaponics for growing fodder for animals, kitchen gardening to grow vegetables, growing Irish potatoes in sacks, among others.

The experts also advocate for keeping the city environment clean through recycling waste arising from agricultural products.

The Minister of Agriculture, Mr Frank Tumwebaze, calls for more  financial support such as loans to urban farmers. The minister says about 65 percent of Uganda’s land is not fully utilised, adding that he has been lobbying for farm tools, including tractors which will be supplied to farmer groups.

Ms Josette Sanyu Zziwa, a food nutritionist at HFU, says 2.4 million children in the country have stunted  growth, adding that most of them are in urban areas.

She says this is due to shortage of nutritious food, a challenge that can be ably resolved if more people practice urban farming.

Ms Zziwa adds that 6 percent of children below the age of five  are stunted and  14 percent are underweight, below 2.5kg. Such conditions, she says  lead to brain waste.

Ms Zziwa says the rate for anaemia for child bearing mothers is 16.7 percent and 7 percent of these women lack iron and Vitamin A food nutrients.

Urban food farming

Ms Emma Naluyima, an urban mixed farmer on Entebbe Road, calls upon the youth to embrace urban farming because it is a viable business.

She says she has an acre of land , which she utilises for pig rearing, growing East Africa Highland Matooke, rearing rabbits and fish farming.

Ms Naluyima says as long as the urban farmer provides the right feed to animals, which include grain meals, maggot meal, and fodder grown using aquaponics technology, profit can be reaped.

Background

In 2012, a team of experts, including scientists, professors and, economists, formed Hunger Fighting in Uganda (HFU) to sensitise the public on the  importance of growing mushrooms in the backyard gardens. Urban dwellers in cities such as Arua, Mbale, Fort Portal, Mbarara, Jinja and Kampala, were trained.

The team used a model of producing 320kg of Oyster mushroom, which was processed and supplied to 490 households, who began growing mushrooms to strengthen food security and this led to the first Edible Cities conference in 2015.

The organisation has 150 members and each member is required to pay Shs70,000 per annum.

The team also solicits funds from organisation such as World Food Programme.

The organisation also participates in supply of food  to refugees in Kyangwali, Nakivale and Kasongo settlements in Western Uganda.

The organisation also collaborates with Food and Agricultural Organisation to supply seeds suitable for semi-arid lands in Kotido and Abim.