RUKUNGIRI: Farmers urged to practice value addition on their products

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In order for farmers to get more money, they have been asked to add value on their products.

The Rukungiri district Agricultural Officer, Mrs. Kukundakwe Mildred, made this call on Friday, the last day of a three-day training session at Kigezi Agricultural College in Rubanga Parish, Buyanja Sub County in Rukungiri district.

Addressing farmers who had just completed three days of intensive training on how to plant and maintain their banana plantations, Mrs. Kukundakwe emphasized modern farming techniques, such as value addition and creating farmer groups that will enable them to earn more money and have easier access to government.

Elder Emmanuel Kikoni, the director of Kigezi Agricultural College, disclosed that he came up with an idea to found the college in order to assist farmers in gaining more knowledge, ideally with the understanding that farming will be the primary source of food for everyone on the planet.

Elder Kikoni asked trainees to apply the knowledge they had learned in the workshop to train other farmers, requesting that the government step in and begin providing agricultural institutions with tools such as tractors and excellent roads such that they can access markets.

Robert Rwabubare one of the facilitators from Bushenyi, praised Elder Kikoni for establishing the institution and urged the residents of Rukungiri and the surrounding area to make use of it for their advantage.

He voiced displeasure with the Rukungiri people’s methods of harvesting coffee, claiming that they run the prospect of low prices in the near future due to subpar quality.

Elder Emmanuel Kikoni was commended by Buyanja Sub County’s chairperson LC3, Mr. Agaba Emmy Rubondo, for his contribution in infrastructural development and institution establishment.

Agaba urged the government to give the agriculture sector top priority in the upcoming budget in order to benefit the majority of Ugandans.

Farmers who attended the program, including Mr. Jackson Tumukunde and Mugisha Busesire, expressed gratitude to Elder Kikoni for providing financing for the three days of training.

They also confirmed the true benefits of the course and mentioned that farming would never be the same for them.