THE JINJA AGRICULTURAL SHOW IS A CHALLENGE TO THE LEADERS
I had opportunity to visit the Jinja Agricultural Show Ground, Sunday 17th July 2011, and all I have to say is that our leaders in Uganda are the reason why our country has poor agricultural output hence even the famine. I was impressed to see what the prisoners have to show. They are telling us that they are productive given the gardens. This productivity should mean that they should be better fed. Secondly, it is not clear why the prison authorities keep hiring out manpower of prisoners when they can produce food that can be sold and help support the prison services. These among others are the challenges our leaders are failing to sort.
I was impressed by the water harvesting on display at the show and I wondered why we keep crying that we cannot arrest the weather conditions when at the show one can get free knowledge.
The Bio gas digesters are on display for all to see how bio gas can be made and eventually used in our homes.
The energy saving stoves are there for all to see, and eventually implement at home.
Our cattle keepers have kept on with poor quality cattle while designs for better managed cattle can freely be got from the show at Jinja. The feeding under zero-grazing is all well shown.
It is impressing to see the seeds grown by the local seed companies. The outlook of the crop which a show-goer sees is a real challenge that we have the seeds locally raised which can give us high yields.
In a nutshell, the show is a challenge to the leaders in Uganda who should see to it that this more beneficial to the people by encouraging them to visit when the show is officially on, and that after the show has closed, the area remains a learning place for those who want better innovations in agriculture.
The National Agricultural and Trade Show started in 1993. The Show ground is a 16 hectare piece of land where Agriculture trade and service sectors are exhibited. The Show is a platform for displaying and identifying innovations by local and foreign organizations which can be used to improve technologies for better production and marketing.
The National Agricultural & Trade Show is opportunity for those players in Agriculture to learn from others better methods of production as well as innovations as a whole that can boost agricultural productivity for earning income hence the welfare of the players in Agriculture as an enterprise.
Uganda being an agricultural based country, time is now to utilize to the maximum the Agricultural Show Ground a 16 hectare piece of land. In this drive; the players in the Agricultural sector can come up with a strategy to see this workable. 2ndly, the phased out industries in Jinja can be replaced by a better planned strategy to boost the country's agricultural sector with the focus being the Agricultural Show Ground as a centre for the activities.
Training can be done in a number of areas; this could be on-farm innovations to the targeted farmers or training to players in the agricultural sector including the extension personnel. When on visits the gardens of most farmers; one thing which is badly managed by the farmers is soil erosion. It is not clear whether the Agricultural Officers are reaching out to the farmers over this issue. There is no reason why the show ground cannot be the area where to find all the technology innovations developed by various players in the country. Why can't we have an agricultural library where all information concerning the growing of crop enterprises in the country can be found. Why don't we develop videos which can explain a to z of managing various enterprises. All the Agricultural Research stations in Uganda should be represented at the show ground so that whatever concerns agriculture in the country including better seed varieties can be got from the show grounds and sold to interested parties. There is talk about water harvesting, the various designs should be found at the show ground and training in a cross section of innovations in agriculture should be undertaken at this place, after all there is land where demonstration gardens can be put, yet water is readily available to irrigate throughout the year.
I am of the opinion that the players in Agriculture can really put much more value to the Jinja Agricultural Show Ground instead of just hosting a National Agricultural Show every year.
William Kituuka Kiwanuka
Below are photo impressions when His Majesty the King of Buganda Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II closed the Show at Jinja.
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