In Uganda, agriculture is the backbone of the economy. It employs approximately 72 percent of the population and contributes about a quarter of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Yet productivity in the country is still below its potential – constrained by a number of challenges, including depleted soils, volatile weather, and low-quality and harmful inputs, including fertilisers.
For Amina Dugo, a passionate farmer in Butaleja District, poor soil moisture retention has always left her banana, cocoa, and fruit crop crops drying up frequently. The lack of knowledge on proper soil nutrition and management practices made things worse. Each planting season, the yields dwindled, forcing her into financial strain.
“This issue not only impacted my food supply but also my income,” Ms. Dugo recalls, explaining how her cocoa plants, in particular, began to dry up. “The cocoa was the most affected, and with each passing day, my potential earnings slipped away.”
Her story took a remarkable turn when Kilimo Trust’s Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Rice Initiative for Climate Smart Agriculture (R4iCSA) project stepped in. Through this initiative, she was introduced to sustainable agricultural practices, including the use of organic fertilisers and soil amenders made from readily available rice by products such as rice straws and husks.
Biochar is a dark, lightweight, charcoal-like substance resulting from burning organic material such as agricultural waste.
The process, called pyrolysis, involves heating the rice husks at high temperatures in the absence of oxygen, resulting in a product that can increase water and nutrient retention, reduce soil acidity, and help retain carbon in the soil.
“The training I received on sustainable farming practices was such a game changer for me,” Dugo says.
“I was able to improve the quality of the soil on my farm using readily available and organic materials.”
But the real transformation in her crops began when she applied vermicast, an organic fertiliser made from converting organic waste into manure rich in high nutritional content using earthworms, primarily red wrigglers.
“When I began applying vermicast on my crops, the difference was clear. My banana bunches grew larger, and my cocoa plants, once on the verge of death, started to bloom.”
While Amina battled with moisture retention, Opendi Joseph, a 72-year-old farmer in the nearby Magola sub-county, struggled with poor soil fertility. His maize and coffee plants barely thrived, and his vegetables produced disappointing harvests. The lack of nutrients in his soil stunted his farm’s growth and limited his income potential.
“I was taken to Kenya by Kilimo Trust along with other farmers for training on how to produce and use vermicompost,” he recalls. “This process enriches soil fertility using organic waste and earthworms.” Upon returning to Uganda, he began implementing these new techniques on his farm.
The transformation was remarkable. “The vermicompost greatly improves the fertility of the soil, and this has changed the game of my farming,” states Mr. Opendi. “The use of vermicompost has led to a noticeable increase in the size and quality of my maize, as well as the overall productivity of my coffee and vegetables.”
He now sells the vermicast at about 800 Uganda shillings per kilogram, primarily to fellow farmers in the area, but he has also received orders from as far as Kampala, boosting his income.
Ms. Dugo and Mr. Opendi are examples of how organic farming practices can restore not just soil but livelihoods. Their determination to embrace these solutions speaks to a larger vision—one where smallholder farmers across Uganda turn adversity into opportunity, strengthening their communities with the support of initiatives like R4iCSA.