Uganda’s Agribusiness Moving From Good To Great

If you want to look far, stand on the shoulders of giants. For 3 days, Ugandans were treated to this insightful and exceptional experience at the Harvest Money Expo 2020 courtesy of the Netherlands Village.

The Netherlands Village was an expo within an expo.

For a moment, I got convinced was aboard a Geo-moving machine traversing ranches, genetic laboratories, agro processing facilities and mega plantations in Netherlands.

From the facial expression of onlookers, I could read inspiration and envy. This is the challenge Agripreneurs ought to be subjected to if they are to move from good to great and greatest.

This was the moment to focus on unlimited possibilities available to country men and women, young or old, male or female, rich or poor. Those asking What Next should have been there!
In his book, Good to Great authored by Jim Collins, he demonstrates systematic phases companies go through in their journey of transformation.

Principles such as confronting brutal facts first before taking a decision, hiring disciplined people to execute disciplined action enjoy universal recognition. It doesn’t matter how old an enterprise is or its size, what matters is embracing a high level of commitment towards a common value system.

With such principles and mindset, we can grow our agricultural enterprises from good to great.
One noticeable feature of the expo was the huge numbers that turned up for the lecture on Piggery facilitated by Dr Emma Naluyima (winner of the Africa food prize 2019) and Mulindwa Christopher.
The huge numbers were reflective of the UBOS statistics indicating 1.1 million households directly or indirectly depend on piggery for livelihood.

 I was mesmerized by the excitement and enthusiasm demonstrated by farmers to acquire knowledge on best practices of piggery.

 This is was a progressive step in bridging the knowledge gap in one of the most crucial value chains of agriculture.

I will do an injustice if I do not give Dr Emma Naluyima’s stall special mention. At the entrance, guests were welcomed by young children of pre-teen age, clad in blue and red uniform overalls. Before I could even process this shock, my eyes are bombarded with a smooth and fine looking pig, caged chicks, live fish in an improvised mini-pond, matooke, charcoal and volcanic rocks all in one stall.

One of the youngsters looks at me straight in the eye and demonstrates how the pig, poultry, fish and matooke depend on each other for nourishment.

 I shall not cheat the Dr’s effort and ingenuity by disclosing her sophisticated science; one can visit her farm to learn more.

The youngsters clearly augmented her mission cast out on the large white banner at the top of the stall, “If we do not teach children agriculture, we shall groom a generation that imports food.”
This only reminded me of the Dutch exhibitor who boasted of milking cows as early as 4 years of age, consequently growing the family dairy business into a multinational enterprise.
Are your children ready to take your farm?

By Katureebe Shannon,  a writer, economist, Agripreneur and founder of Pumba Piggery.