Vegetable prices fall

Vegetable prices fall
Publish Date: Dec 09, 2013 the Newvision

By Stella Nassuna

MARKETS - According to traders around Kampala, there is a high supply of vegetables.

Philip Nuwagaba, a trader in Nakasero market said that this started about two weeks ago, and has already caused a fall in prices on a number of vegetables like green pepper, egg plants, carrots, beetroot, and tomatoes.

He says that just about a week ago, a kilogram cost between 2500-2000 retail prices, now it costs sh1500.

Hot pepper exporters impose temporal ban

Hot pepper exporters impose temporal ban
Publish Date: Nov 04, 2014 The Newvision

By Samuel Sanya and Samuel Balagadde

Hot pepper dealers have  suspended exports to European markets following an attack by false codling moth on pepper (capsicum), fresh fruit and flowers.

Speaking about the self-imposed suspension, Daniel Karibwije, the Uganda Export Promotions Board (UEPB) director trade promotions and public relations noted that the industry would emerge stronger and more competitive.

“The UEPB is working closely with the ministry of agriculture and that of trade to sensitize 60,000 farmers and export houses to comply with the phytosanitary certification requirements,” Kariwije told the New Vision in a telephone interview.

Karibwije noted that government has designed a program to train farmers and export houses on how to prevent and detect the moth.
The false codling moth is hard to detect as its larvae grow within fresh fruit and flowers.

He also noted that government is set to merge the existing organizations such as Horticultural Exporters Association (Hortexa) and the Uganda Horticulture and Processors Association (UHEPA) into a single body to improve information flow.

Samuel Balagadde, the KK farms quality assurance manager noted that self-suspension was agreed to after a meeting with the agriculture ministry in order to verify and stamp out quack export firms that are not meeting standards.

“There are so many brief case export firms for pepper that have killed the quality of pepper exported.
Only proper firms that have out growers should be verified for export,” James Kanyije, the KK farms boss said.

KK farms is one of the largest pepper exporters with 30,000 small holder out growers, the company recently opened a store in the UK to buy and supply Ugandan exports to supermarkets in the country.

Kanyije noted that exporters will train farmers on the use of pesticides to fight the moth in addition to deploying agronomists to ensure pepper exports meet required standards before they leave the country.

Farmers already affected by the pest were advised to clear grass from their gardens including rotten wastes including the rotten peppers.

Kanyije also urged the farmers to ensure that their fields are monitored and   sprayed with   genuine pesticides   from authorized and reputable dealers.

“Uganda horticultural farmers and exporters risk losing the lucrative EU market over failure to meet set standards by EU markets who have warned all countries to ensure all produce meant for the market is free of harmful pests and meets the “required minimum residual levels” said Kanyije.

Robert Kyeyune of Mars Consultants said Uganda’s  horticulture export  to European markets entirely  dependent  on the farmers attitudes  towards   food farming practices  in conformity to the requirements  for  foreign markets .

A new regime by the EU has a provision of 100% inspection of all peppers at a fee of €47 (sh206,075) per sample and destruction of the imported produce that does not meet the required standards.

The European Union had threatened over 170 categories of Uganda’s fresh fruit exports with a ban after discovering significant numbers of consignments affected by moths in Belgium.

Speaking to the New Vision recently, Céline Prud’homme Madsen, EU’s programme officer for trade in Uganda, said sanctions against Uganda have been put on hold because EU has received promising progress of action on the errant exporters.

Horticulture exports are worth $50m (sh136b) annually.

Published in the Newvision.
http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/661449-hot-pepper-exporters-impose-temporal-ban.html

Ugandan farmers harvest Euros

Ugandan farmers harvest Euros
Publish Date: Jul 13, 2015 Newvision

By Gilbert Kidimu

Did someone brand Uganda East Africa’s food basket? Perhaps World’s food basket is a more accurate metaphor? Our sweet bananas, chillies, Okra, and surprisingly, matooke are such hot items, they are slowly becoming staples in downtown European markets as they are in uptown supermarkets.

One of the people making sure David Beckham eats fresh sweet bananas during winter is Michael Owino, MD Tropical Dynasty, a fruits and vegetables export company.

Tropical Dynasty has for the past ten years exported fruits and vegetables to European Union member states, shipping food stuffs such as chillies, okra, matooke, apple bananas and potatoes.

“The market for matooke is thanks to Ugandans living in the UK,” reveals Owino.

Every month, Owino’s company exports sixty tonnes of fruits and vegetables, a great increase from the six tonnes they exported ten years ago when they started out. Similarly, his company’s turnover has increased from sh50 million to sh2 billion

Demand for Ugandan produce is so great, Owino acknowledges that they cannot meet the demand, especially that of Chillies and Okra.

“We are very strict on the quality of chillies exported, so we only work with farmers who meet the required standards, which lessens the amount exported,” he explains.

Owino says a number of challenges trail exporting agricultural produce to the EU market, seeing the high standards required by European countries.

The reason he exports less chillies than he has market for is because many farmers don’t meet those standards.

“We have had to import seeds for our growers because of fake ones on the market. This of course increases our costs, which is why we regenerate those very seeds,” he adds.

“We look forward to growing at least 50% of all our exported produce especially the chillies since they are in high demand and require a lot of attention. We also plan to set up an international standard pack house.”

Trade with Europe

One of the reasons Owino and many exporters of fresh produce have a fondness for the European market, is the ready market available in abundance.

“Becoming an exporter doesn’t need a lot of starting capital, which is why many people are getting into it,” says Yiga Thomas, director Uganda Fruit and Vegetable Exporters.

“We have exporting companies in Uganda selling their agricultural produce directly to supermarkets in Europe. This shows just how serious the exporting business is seeing that supermarkets hold very high standards in these European countries,” he adds.

“Before, there were numerous associations for exporters, but now we have one apex body, formed in January this year, to represent all exporters. The major objective is to bring all exporters under one umbrella to learn the nature of international business, which entails lots of guidelines and high standards.”

Some of the European Union stipulated standards are; traceability, which means a product, has to be traced from the garden to the plate.

Also, the produce has to be free of pests and diseases or any harmful organ.

Exports mustn’t exceed minimum residue levels. Pesticides have to be sprayed within a limited period of time and not further, so that by the time of harvest, the pesticide residue have reduced to a bare minimum if at all.

Yiga says, Uganda exports 45, 958 tonnes of fruits and vegetables to Europe generating $18.1 million sh54 billion annually.

“The most demanded for exports are chillies, matooke, and garden eggs (entula).”

There are currently 50 exporting companies in Uganda, each working with an average of 100 farmers. It should be noted that more than 80% of all Ugandans depend on farming to earn a living, which explains the significance of agricultural produce to both the welfare of citizens of this country and its economy.

Challenges

The export sector’s course isn’t plain sailing at all.  A few farmers have had to destroy their crops after their hot peppers and chillies were found containing a moth, says Yiga

He also adds that Ugandan packaging leaves room for improvement.

“Inflation is working against us. We pay our tickets in dollars but sell our products in Euros. While the dollar has been gaining ground, the Euro has remained stagnant.”

Published in the Newvision.
http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/670916-ugandan-farmers-harvest-euros.html
 

Farming in a virtual reality environment.

Farming in a virtual reality environment
Publish Date: Jul 13, 2015 The Newvision.

Joy Muhoozi uses a smoke blower to scare away bees to harvest honey in one of her beehives.

 Photo by Fredrick Mugira

By Fredrick Mugira
EVERY after an hour, chances are that Joy Muhoozi, a spunky brown woman in her late 40s will be talking on phone. Often, she is sharing her farming experience, talking to extension workers or inquiring about market prices for products from her farm, a family agribusiness she owns with her husband Bonus.

Through her phone, she finds market for her produce. Joy sells her produce directly to buyers in the towns of Bushenyi, Kabwohe and Mbarara in southwestern Uganda and several other markets in the region. This way she cuts out the middlemen and sells her honey and several other produce to the highest bidders.

But most recently, Joy has been thinking about venturing into using internet to market her produce. She wants to devote a blog and a Facebook account to her family farm. The family runs a mixed farm in Kyangundu, Kyangyenyi Sub County, in Sheema district, some 320 kilometers south of Kampala City.

“I’ve a lot to share and learn on internet. I want to find market for my honey,” narrates Joy.

Joy wants to cross from the side of farmers in Uganda yet to use social networks to expand their farm businesses. She wants to join the side where several farmers, farmers’ groups, extension workers, sellers and buyers of agricultural products are meeting easily.

Meeting in a virtual reality environment; just through social media; a group of internet based applications that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content.

Several farmers in Uganda have turned to social media platforms mostly Facebook, WhatsApp, Blogs and Twitter due to their participatory, openness and connectedness characteristics.

Perhaps the most used social media platform, Facebook allows users to set up their own pages, upload their photos, video, personal information and just about anything else.

The centerpiece of these platforms in agriculture is strengthening friendship and teamwork, allowing farmers to share ideas, experiences, problems and accessing market information.

 

Joy Muhoozi’s apiary farm in Kyangundu, Sheema. Photo by Frederick Mugira

This is according to Ian Atamba, an expert in agricultural extension and Director Integrated Actions Network, an NGO that works with local farmers in south-western Uganda to help them enhance their farming techniques.

He suggests that there are three specific points that farmers should follow if they want social media to work for them: “be willing to learn, active and involve their children.”

The last of these would seem to require explanation. “By involving their children, I mean that if they are unable to read or use computers, their children will do it for them,” Atamba adds.

Critically related to Atamba’s idea is the question of how traditional media in Uganda perceive the consumers of their information. Some media focus on the segments of society that have disposable incomes such as the rich and educated. The end result is that stories of rural, poor and otherwise marginalized people such as rural farmers receive little coverage through traditional media.

No wonder, Joy says she can’t afford to have her produce advertised in local media. “They want a lot of money,” notes joy, stressing that she does not have money to advertise.

If Joy uploads any information about her produce, chances are potential buyers and organisations that provide support to local farmers in Uganda will read it.

The man who knows this better is Innocent Angonza, a Masters’ student. His first degree is in agribusiness. He owns a blog dedicated to agribusiness. Agonza describes the use of social media in agriculture as amazing.

“Usage of social media is helping farmers worldwide to reach out and network with local and international agricultural extension workers and potential buyers of their produce,” notes Agonza.

Likewise, Agaba Baringi Senex, the Mbarara Traders Association treasurer agrees. He says several traders that belong to his organisation reach farmers through social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp using their phones.

“Yes it is possible, several traders are now changing with trends,” Agaba notes stressing that, “social media has now become an integral part of everyday life for people around the world traders and farmers inclusive.”

Published in the NewVision:
http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/670904-farming-in-a-virtual-reality-environment.html