Kabale University joins partnership to promote farmer field schools

By APN Reporter

apearlnews.com

Kabale University has partnered with the Centre for Rural Development to

promote farmers around Lake Bunyonyi through Farmer Field

schools-FFS, through which the farmers are trained on how to protect

land and stop silting around Lake Bunyonyi.

According to the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental

Farmer, Prof Wilson Bamwerinde, who is spearheading the Farmer

At field schools, the university is working with the farmers by providing

They also provide farm inputs and implements to them.He added that, under the program,

The university has also provided the farmers with domestic animals.

like sheep and goats, which are meant to give them manure for their

so as to help them improve their productivity.

This, he said, follows research which the university carried out and

They discovered that one of the challenges facing the farmers around Lake

Bunyonyi, a lack of manure.

Prof Bamwerinde spoke to members of ten farmer groups yesterday.

from the sub-counties of Kitumba and Rubaya in Kabale District and

Bufundi in Rubanda District, Mukoni parish in Rubaya sub-county, who

I have been undergoing a five-day training on how to reduce soil.

erosion and conservation in the Lake Bunyonyi basin.

Bamwerinde added that the farmers were equipped with skills on how to

They evaluate their environment and watershed in order to see how best

They can address the challenges of soil erosion and lack of natural

resources, poor productivity, and all other components related to

agriculture.

He said that during the training, they were able to determine the best

The farmers who performed well were given rewards as well as the

sharing their experiences in order to address the challenges that

they are faced with.

Richard Arishaba Baaba, one of the farmers from Kariko Farmer Field,

School, said that the farmer’s field schools have given them the hands

on skills and expertise, since they are practically done in the crop.

fields.

Godfrey Bareebwa, another farmer, said that during the training, they

We were taught that the major causes of soil erosion are poor

Agricultural practices and deforestation, if not addressed, can have serious consequences.

This results in food insecurity as a result of poor agriculture production.

and poverty.

Presiding over the function to reward the best-performing farmers, the

Kabale University Vice Chancellor, Prof Joy Kwesiga, noted that

Previously, soil conservation practices were mandatory for all farmers.

and wondered why there was laxity in enforcing them.

She noted that the skills given to farmers have helped to improve on

their agricultural produce, adding that measuring yields by

It’s encouraging that through the Farmer Field schools, it’s

With mindset change, better practices can be embraced.

Prof. Kwesiga said that the farmers’ field schools have helped the

She stated that goals are necessary for development.

to be realized in their families.

The Kabale District Senior entomologist, Honest Tumuheirwe, who was

One of the Farmer Field School facilitators noted that the farmer was

field schools, are commensurate with the government’s parish development.

model-PDM strategy that is aimed at transforming subsistence

households into a money economy.