Page 187 - AFAP Success Stories 2020

Fred Rukanshungirwa with his family; one of the demo host farmers who regretted to have realised so late that fertilizers can also be used for sorghum. While he
managed and learned on the 4x6m demo plot, he also used his ¼ acre plot to apply the same knowledge and he got 350kg. That is his best yield he has ever got
from that plot, which used to get between 50 and 100kg. Fred intends to use the proceeds from the sales to pay school fees for his children.

“Bushera”, an alcoholic drink, “Murrumba”, while the It appears we cannot wish away sorghum in the short
dredges and stover are used as animal feed. The dredges run because it seems to form a strong socioeconomic
from porridge and muramba are popularly used as feed component of the farming system and livelihoods of
for pigs and cows. Sorghum is also a critical component Banyakigezi.
of the farming system in the Kigezi region. These Additionally, the distance of Nyabyumba to Kabaale is
notwithstanding, sorghum is still grown traditionally with 15km and this very hilly terrain makes transport of any
no modern production technologies. It is sown by hand inputs from town quite expensive. Transport to Kabaale
broadcasting, hand weeded, manually harvested and town and back costs a total of USD6 and it is impossible
threshed by manual beating with clubs.
to use one “boda boda” for both the 50kg bag of fertilizer

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