Utilisation of wastes for Integrated Organic farming demonstration farm

My project is to integrate or recycle urban market crop wastes (garbage) and rainwater harvesting into crop/livestock production systems. This in will contribute in the long run to poverty reduction of poor scale farmers mostly women in peri-urban and rural areas and improve on environmental quality. Many view garbage, as a waste but I see it as a major source of organic manure after composting and mulching. The huge quantities of the crop wastes contain large quantities of Nitrogen, Phosphorous and potassium that have been extracted from the areas of production. This incidentally is causing serious nutrient depletion and subsequent loss of fertility. Utilizing these wastes will improve on soil fertility, increase crop and livestock yields, provide raw materials for biogas production and reduce on poverty and hunger. The practice will also reduce on the menace of garbage accumulation and subsequent environment pollution in urban areas. During rainy seasons, rainwater run offs cause flooding and in dry seasons, people suffer from draught conditions. I am incorporating water harvesting to provide a means through which water can be captured, purified, stored and utilized in the dry seasons. Water harvesting and utilization of biodegradable wastes will be integrated to improve organic farming.

Integrated organic farming is a process of harmonious co-existence between the various components on farm plants, animals, water and soils. Each component will contribute directly or indirectly to the other. For example, crop and animal wastes (garbage) will be fed to animals and used for making organic fertilizers and biogas production. Therefore the production of biogas, which will be demonstrated on the farm to the community members, will reduce the problem of environmental depletion and the residues of biogas production will be used to improve soil fertility and crop yields.

I will divide the project into three components: organic farming, waste management and agribusiness management. Each component will also have number of different projects. For example organic farming is planned to comprise of poultry, zero grazing (cattle and goats), piggery, fish farming, bee keeping, horticulture, mushroom growing etc. Waste management will comprise utilizing agricultural wastes for animal feeds, composting the garbage to get organic manure and water harvesting. Agribusiness management training will provide training focusing on three main components of farm input, farm production and farm output (processing and marketing of agricultural products). This will take agriculture components a step further and blend them with entrepreneurship and business skills that will enable them to market their products.

Many channels will be used to access markets for our products, using different marketing and promotion tools, like advertising through radios, newspapers and posters. Many stalls for our products will be established in major towns. Our products will also be marketed through exhibitions in the urban markets. I will partner with exporters of organic products as market outlets of the products. There is a growing competition in organic farming but my approach will out compete them. Utilising wastes, as sources of raw materials for organic farming will be less costly and this means that my products will be price competitive.

I will also use different marketing strategies like door-to-door marketing basing on the law of averages that the more people I market my products and services to, the more people will buy basing on the fact that the products will be of a certified high organic quality. I will ensure quality products and services are offered to our clients. I am coming up with a strategy of using mobile sales vans. These vans will be stocked with fresh fruits for consumption in their raw and used to market the fruits in urban ares. No company uses this kind of marketing strategy in Uganda urban centers. The demonstration farm will be marketed through the media especially the print and electronic media. I am also initiating a sales promotion where by each year; the demonstration farm will carry out an essay competition in secondary Schools from the surrounding districts on waste management and organic agriculture. These promotions and sponsorships will create awareness about the demonstration farm’s activities, services and products. Radio and television stations used promote our products and services. A website will be designed to market the demonstration farm and provide relevant information to the public. There is no demonstration farm in the surrounding areas and this is a virgin area and an opportunity to exploit.

Adoption of by-products recycling practices will generally reduce farm input costs, increase farm generation capacity, conserve the environment (eco-friendly), lead to improvements in farm crop yields and also sustain soil fertility. The uniqueness about my products and services will based on quality, impact to farmers income generation, modern agribusiness management skills and cost efectiveness in utelised agricultural wastes for agricultural and environmental sustainability.

I hold a Diploma in Records and Archives Management from Makerere University-Kampala and a Bachelors Degree in Procurement and Logistics Management from Kyambogo University-Kampala. Since my childhood as already mentioned, i was involved in agriculture with my parents. In 1975 i got a job with Rwenzori Highlands Tea Company limited which exposed me with technigues in cash crop farming. This made me even more interested in farming despite that i ahave academic skills in different fields. The department of Crop Science, faculty of Agriculture, Makerere University, did the research on wastes utelisation and the research findings made me more inquisitive on the issue at hand. I am now working with Global Business Promotions which is assisting in development of agriculture enterprises in Uganda. The research findings made me more inquisitive on the issue at hand. I was motivated and inspirited to start this project after a realization of continued decline of agriculture output yet agriculture provides a livelihood to many Ugandans in creation of employment opportunities, source of raw materials, source of food and foreign exchange earnings.

The project will make my local village a “model village”. Many employment opportunities will be created especially those who will be employed on the demonstration farm. In two years the estimate of direct employees employed on different projects is estimated at 200 and about 220 people will be indirectly employed through community initiative program as a result of our training programs. The project will improve on crop and animal yields, which will improve on household incomes and reduction of extreme hunger. Organic manure has a positive effect on the soil and environment improvement. The environment will be enriched through promotion of biogas production, waste utelisation and water harvesting. All these will lead to poverty reduction, improvement of maternal health and environmental protection for sustainable development. People will be equipped with skills and knowledge that will improve agribusiness management and modern methods of agriculture, which will improve household incomes