By Our Reporter
On Tuesday, Agilis Partners, an agricultural development company, hosted smallholder farmers to a farmers day event where they exposed the farmers to modern farming practices in a bid to help them improve the quality and quantity of their yield. The event which was held at one of the company’s farming units in Kigumba, Kiryandongo district was attended by hundreds of farmers from sorrounding areas.
The farmers were introduced to the advanced farming techniques used on the Agilis farm throughout the lifecycle of the crops from proper land preparation to good post-harvest handling and storage practices.
Sitting on over 15,000 hectares of land, the Agilis farm is divided into four different units with the main crops grown being maize, sunflower and soyabean. The farming is highly mechanised with two production systems which are harrowing(use of tractors to prepare the land) and conservation farming(a system in which the soil surface is not broken).
According to Jadribo Martin, the agronomist in charge of smallholder farmers at Agilis, they have repackaged their farming protocol into an easy to understand document which has then been shared with the farmers.
“The document is divided into three stages – growth stage, business planning and investment stage. This way farmers are able to go and replicate our mode of operation at their own farms,” he noted.
With a vision to make Uganda the continent’s food basket, Benjamin Prinz, the Agilis co-managing partner postulates that there is infinite potential in the sector which can be realised if all stakeholders work together from investors, to smallholder farmers as well as other industry players.
“We have the capital and technical know-how to maximise our yield as well as access to markets. It is therefore our responsibility to share this knowledge, resources and markets with the community.” He explained. “We do not only invest in land and farming activities but also partner with farmers to help them co-market their grain with us. This way the whole community benefits and promotes their well-being.”
Founded in 2013, Agilis Partners operates two different companies; the Joseph Initiative Limited which is one of the leading exporters of grains from Uganda to the East African region and Asili Farms which is one of the largest farming companies in Uganda. The company’s main customers are food manufacturers, aid organizations and protein producers with in the region.