A team of four individuals from Mbale District has embarked on a two-day benchmarking tour in Rukungiri District, focusing on improving agriculture and livestock practices in their region.
The tour, which kicked off on Monday, is led by Rukungiri District Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Hajji Swalihk Masokoyi Wasswa. The Mbale team is accompanied by officials from Rukungiri’s production department, sub-county representatives, and local farmers.
On the first day, the delegation visited model farmers, including Boaz Rutera of Bugangari Sub-county, known for his expansive coffee and banana plantations, and Frank Mugiri of Buyanja Sub-county, who practices zero-grazing dairy farming.
Masaba Lydia, a retired teacher and Mbale team member, described the experience as enlightening. She highlighted techniques such as mulching and intercropping, which enhance yields even in poor soils. She expressed hope that these methods would be adopted back in Mbale to boost productivity.
CAO Masokoyi noted that while Mbale has fertile soils, low commitment to farming has hindered productivity. He emphasized the importance of learning from Rukungiri’s dedicated farmers who are reaping success with crops like coffee and bananas.
The team is scheduled to visit a piggery project in Nyakagyeme Sub-county, a district demonstration farm in Nyarushanje Sub-county, and other farms today.
Rukungiri Principal Agriculture Officer, Mildred Kukundakwe, advised farmers to carry out soil testing before planting. She stressed that understanding soil health is key to choosing suitable crops and applying the right nutrients.
Among the standout farmers, Boaz Rutera of Nyankoro Cell, Kashayo Parish in Bugangari Sub-county, owns over 15,000 coffee trees and reportedly harvests over 100 kilograms from some individual trees. Meanwhile, Frank Mugiri of Bwenkurijo Cell, Nyakina Parish in Buyanja Sub-county, keeps 28 cattle and milks up to 30 liters per cow daily.
Both farmers advised Ugandans to stay consistent with their agricultural projects.
“Many fail because they keep switching from one crop to another, coffee today, cocoa tomorrow, then bananas,” they said.
They urged farmers to remain passionate, dedicated, and willing to invest time and resources for long-term success.
