By Asenath Were
Uganda Christian University’s (UCU) faculty of Agricultural Science has organised a farmer’s field day to help farmers around the university gain knowledge concerning their farm activities.
Rosemary Bulyaba, dean of the faculty of Agricultural Science, said that looking out for the farmers is part of their corporate social responsibility as a university, following one of the core values, which is “community engagement and community outreach.”
“Therefore, working with them as a faculty is all about that—implementing what UCU is all about but also for us to resolve issues and challenges that are part of all of us,” Bulyaba said.
To her, farmers are important to all of us since they are the ones who grow what we eat here at the university. Bulyaba also added that they cannot practice agriculture without supporting the farmers who are their neighbours.
Winnie Namutosi, the lecturer in charge of community outreach, pointed out that different farmers and partners of the UCU community were invited so that they could not only learn but also bring the challenges they face in crop production so the students could analyse and give recommendations to the challenges.
Namutosi said they had different demo sites with crops such as Nakati, spinach, and bulb onions, to mention but a few.
“The students have been working on these demo gardens, learning the good management practices that start from the time of planting to the time of harvesting; hence, the farmers will be trained by the students in the good management practices they learned in class.” She remarked.
Additionally, Namutosi stated that the farmers were helped to get diagnoses for their crops through the plant clinic, which was led by UCU agriculture (BASE) students who have been trained to become certified plant doctors, adding to their degree.
To Mukisa Tonny, a year 3 BASE student, the day has helped him develop his communication skills and confidence through public speaking as he addressed the farmers, adding that addressing a crowd is not easy, but this event has helped him do so.
“This has also helped all the students put into practice the different things they have learned in class and enables them to gain field experience such that when they go out there, they can be able to interact with people in the community.” He said
Ketra Cindy Liz Oyama, another BASE student in year three, says they had a lot of activities going on, such as a tour of the demonstrative garden, where the different crops that were being grown were showcased.
Adding, “We are showing farmers the best way we can achieve such a beautiful garden and, in case of any problems, how they can solve them.”
She says that both the farmers’ field day and the plant clinic help to equip the students with knowledge on what they are going to do after their studies.
Joseph Odongo, one of the farmers from Kazinga village in Mukono district, said he hopes to learn a lot regarding farming by the end of the farmers’ field day. “When I heard the announcement that there was to be a training on farming, I decided to come so that I could also learn something.” Odong remarked.
Moreover, Teddy Tusiime, another farmer, said she has come to see the difference in the way UCU does its farming, and she hopes that by the end of the day, she will learn much more than she has been doing.
She concluded and said that she is happy that she found the farming well done: “The crops are in good condition, and I know I will also change the way I have been handling crops on my farm.” She stated.
