Farmers to share ideas on new techniques

 

Agriculture minister Hope Mwesigye (left)

and officials in Kabarole admire apples

grown in the district

 

By Vision Reporter

This year’s agricultural show will enable stakeholders to interact, share and learn from each other. The 18th Source of the Nile national Agricultural Shown opens today till Sunday under the theme, “Modern production technologies and value addition, the way forward for the agricultural sector.”

Charles Ogang the president of the National Farmers’ Federation says the theme is an opportunity for Ugandan farmers to build partnerships with their counterparts in value additions.

The show which started in 1992 sets a platform for displaying and identifying innovations made by local and foreign companies through improved technologies for better production, marketing and poverty eradication.
“Jinja Show ground is a spacious 16 hactares exhibition ground which combines agriculture trade and service sectors,” explains Ogang.

Ogang who is newly elected, says the show is timely because with the growing demands of the rapidly increasing population and need for better livelihood, Uganda is transforming from subsistence to commercial agriculture.
“This process requires innovations that will improve agricultural productivity,” adds Ogang.

He says the show will also increase awareness of appropriate agricultural production, value addition and market innovations that enhance productivity and demonstrate the applications of the innovations.

Ogang also notes that the show will create and strengthen linkages amongst innovation users, manufacturers, researchers and service providers and provide a learning opportunity for scaling up the innovations.

“Ugandan farmers, researchers, service providers, decision-makers, manufacturers, traders and other stakeholders have a critical role to play in the transformation of agriculture,” he says.