Page 162 - AFAP Success Stories 2020
P. 162

Farmers preparing their gardens (Idatujje Agency)




            About Idatujje Farm Agency and Acila               for the other farmers in the group were held. Idhatujje
            Enterprises Limited                                continues to do this in four districts: Kween, Bugiri, Iganga
                                                               and Namutumba.
            Moses is the founder of Idatujje Farm Agency Limited,
            which started in 1985. It operates across six districts:   “Before farmers would complain about striga weed and
            Bugiri, Iganga, Mayuge, Kaliro, Kweeni and Butaleja. The   poor soil but when they were trained on how to prepare
            hub-agrodealer agency sells agrochemicals, insecticides   their gardens, use the right amount and type of fertilizers,
            and farm equipment to farmers. Moses started the agency   topdressing and insecticide spray, farmers have testified to an
            to bring services nearer to the farmers who travelled long   increase in yields,” Nathan an employee at Idatujje explains.
            distances from isolated villages to buy these products.
            Later on he noticed that the majority of farmers buying   With AFAP’s support, Idatujje Farm Agency has so far
            agrochemicals were against their use and so he embarked   trained 421 farmers despite COVID-19 and he reports that
            on a journey using demonstration farms to train farmers   farmers have been able to appreciate the technology and
            on the value of using agrochemicals (demo farms).
                                                               the products used in the same way that Idhatujje Farm
                                                               Agency does.
                                                               “This training has greatly contributed to changing the
            Demand-creation activities and AFAP                mindsets of farmers regarding agrochemical use. This is
            intervention
                                                               evidenced through the results, such as the increase in
            Through the funding extended to cater for demand-  yields from the farmers trained,” Nathan further clarifies.
            creation activities by AFAP, Idhatujje Farm Agency
            established demonstration gardens and set up a seed-  A university student’s proud
            multiplying garden for rice. This was done through farmer   enterprise in lockdown
            groups. One farmer was selected from others in the group   Apart from farmers, Acila Enterprises engages women and
            to host the demo farm. It was here that all training sessions

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