"VEDCO supported me with knowledge"

Mr.Mivule Musa is from Bakusekamajja Farmers Group in Kakooge sub county – Nakasongola District who is planting pineapples massively. Mivule joined VEDCO around 2003 through friends who were already group members.

Before joining VEDCO he used to work as a casual laborer in people’s farms and charcoal burning. From this work, he had only managed to buy a bicycle and owned a small piece of land.

While with VEDCO Mivule started with the pig enterprise but later failed to manage it because of the scarcity of feeds and poor markets of the pig products. After this failure I decided to abandon piggery and join pineapple farming. I started with 2000 suckers which I planted on 1 ½ acres; here VEDCO supported me with knowledge on proper spacing of pineapples and at first I managed to harvest 37550 suckers which I sold at 30/= each earning a total of 1,126,500/=

From the sale of pineapple fruits, I have managed to buy a motorcycle worth 1,700,000/= to help me in searching for the markets. I also bought solar panels worth 1200000 to generate power at home (I use it in lighting and watching television at home). The money from pineapples has also helped me in finishing our house at home; buying household needs and also paying fees for my children (I have 2 secondary students and 8 primary pupils).

The income got from sale of pineapples has also facilitated in expanding my garden from 1 ½ acres to 6 acres now. From here I can manage to harvest an average of 9000 heads of pineapples per season for 2 seasons in a year. Currently I sell the smallest pineapple at 300/= and the biggest is sold at 1000/=. The harvested pineapples are mainly sold to traders from Kasana Luwero.  I am now aiming at having 20 acres of pineapples in a few years but I currently have a problem of land since I no longer have vacant land. I hope to buy land or hire to have my dream achieved.

The pineapple project however, faces challenges which include; monkeys that spoil the pineapples from the garden, limited land for expansion has greatly affected me and sometimes unfavorable weather conditions affect the production of pineapples.

I conclude by expressing my gratitude to VEDCO for exposing us to fellow farmers in different areas which has made us known and providing us with vast knowledge and skills.

 

Ruth's Story.

"my life has tremendously changed"

I am Mbasaraki Ruth from Bakuseka majja farmers group in Kakooge Sub County in Nakasongola district and I deal in poultry farming.

Before joining poultry farming I was working as a nursing assistant but the salary was very little, so I decided to start another income generating activity to supplement on the little money from my job. I started to deal in poultry farming in 1991 with 50 layers and by the time I joined VEDCO (2006) I had expanded to 350 layers. Since 2006 my farm has expanded and I am now keeping 750 layers; however most of this stock is yet to start laying eggs. I only have 100 laying birds currently.

From poultry farming, I have managed to construct a permanent house for my father, bought 20 cows, bought land in Kakooge town worth 800,000/= and built in a commercial house (not yet occupied). I am currently constructing a standard structure for poultry and I have so far invested in 5 million shillings and still incomplete.

From VEDCO and through experience, I learnt how to mix feeds and currently I mix and sell feeds to fellow farmers in the area. From Bakusekamajja farmers group, we are a group of 7 women who engage in poultry collectively; we mix our own feeds and buy materials including chicks together.

On top of this I have managed to pay fees for my five children and they are all in secondary schools.

Ever since joining poultry farming, my life has tremendously changed and I had to abandon my former job of nursing to entirely looking after poultry and I promise not to leave this business because it has made me a proud lady. In around two years, I expect to be having more than 1000 layer birds in my new structure.

I finally commend VEDCO for the support rendered to me, my group and the community at large in providing us with quality planting materials and birds. May God bless them abundantly.