Ugandans have been urged to embrace diversified commercial farming as a sustainable pathway to wealth creation, with agricultural experts demonstrating that even a few acres of land can generate millions of shillings daily when properly managed.
Speaking at City Gate Mixed Farm in Amuca, Lira City, the Chief Executive Officer, Pius Olam, said the four-acre model demonstration farm was established to show farmers how they can earn sustainable incomes through diversified commercial agriculture.
He said the farm integrates dairy farming with high-yielding Friesian cows, poultry production for eggs and meat, pasture cultivation, organic manure production, coffee growing using elite varieties and matooke cultivation.
Olam said the model was created to equip farmers with practical skills while proving that coffee can successfully thrive in Northern Uganda. He noted that integrating different enterprises enables farmers to enjoy a steady daily cash flow from products such as eggs and milk, adding that the strong market demand for agricultural produce makes farming a viable business venture.
He identified animal diseases, adverse weather, livestock theft and the high cost of farm management as the major challenges affecting commercial farmers but said these can be overcome through improved breeds, sound farm management and strengthened security.
Olam encouraged Ugandans to treat farming as a business, describing agriculture as the backbone of the country’s economy and urging aspiring farmers to acquire knowledge, diversify their enterprises, and invest in sustainable production systems.
City Gate Mixed Farm Manager Nek Edwin Ian said the farm currently keeps about 25,000 layer chickens for egg production and 10,000 broiler chickens for meat, alongside a demonstration dairy unit comprising 10 cows, one bull and four calves, while another farm in Apac District has about 198 free-range cattle.
He added that the dairy cows are fed on elephant grass, sugar graze and hay to increase milk production, while the farm also rears exotic goat breeds, including Savannah, Boer and Red Kalahari, which have adapted well to Northern Uganda’s semi-arid climate.
Ian said disease prevention measures include routine spraying of cattle and goats against ticks, proper housing and close monitoring of young animals to minimise mortality. He added that once the exotic breeds acclimatise to the local environment, they can be managed like indigenous breeds, revealing that the farm earns an average of about Shs10 million daily from the sale of eggs, goats and milk.
The lessons were shared during a visit by contestants of the Miss Tourism Uganda Northern Region pageant to the farm as part of their regional boot camp.
Miss Tourism Uganda Northern Region Operations Manager and tour guide, Olal Jimmy Winter, said the pageant goes beyond modelling by empowering young women with practical skills, creativity, and cultural education. He explained that after learning about the cultures of West Nile, Acholi and Lango, the contestants visited the farm to acquire hands-on knowledge in livestock keeping, crop farming and agritourism, encouraging them to explore self-employment beyond white-collar jobs.
He added that agritourism is an emerging tourism product attracting international visitors interested in Uganda’s farming systems and organic food production, noting that the four-acre model farm demonstrates that even small pieces of land can generate food and sustainable income when properly utilised.
One of the contestants, Atim Melissa Bridget, said the visit demonstrated that poverty in Northern Uganda can be reduced through commercial farming, which she described as the backbone of Uganda’s economy. She said one of the key lessons she learnt was that aspiring farmers do not need to start on a large scale, noting that even keeping a single chicken can be the beginning of a profitable farming venture.
Atim encouraged communities to embrace agriculture as a pathway to economic empowerment and poverty eradication, adding that she intends to expand her goat-rearing project using the knowledge and practical skills acquired during the farm visit.
Great job done Dokolo post