With the support of government funding through the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries, NFLC is focused on equipping Ugandan farmers with the skills needed to thrive in the modern economy. A recent training needs assessment (NFLC baseline survey, 2022) identified coffee and banana farming as key areas for training in the Muyira Parish.
This initiative aims to enhance NFLC’s relationship with surrounding communities and promote a positive attitude towards the commercialization of farm enterprises. By transferring modern agricultural technologies, this training will ultimately boost household incomes and contribute to socio-economic transformation.
The first training session will target 100 farmers from Muyira Parish, organized in two cohorts of 50 farmers each, with a focus on those who own at least 0.5 acres of coffee or bananas. These crops were selected due to their significance as major income sources for the local community, as identified in the NFLC baseline survey (2022).
Training Objectives:
- Promote an agribusiness mindset among coffee and banana farmers.
- Provide management skills for improved coffee and banana production.
- Build a critical mass of farmer leaders to support future interventions in the parish.
- Increase awareness of NFLC’s training programs in nearby communities.
The Principal welcomed the participants from Muyira Parish and thanked the governments of the Republic of Uganda and the Republic of Korea for establishing the institution. He acknowledged the support from the management of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries. He mentioned that the Centre is now prioritizing training for neighboring villages, especially Muyira Parish, in mindset change, so that visitors can see a positive transformation in the neighboring community first.
He reminded the participants that they are part of the government and should not always wait for the government to help them. Instead, they should adopt a self-help mindset for community development.
He encouraged them not only to practice agriculture for food but also to earn money from it, citing that when one earns money, they can pay for medical bills, school fees, and many other necessities.
He also urged them to take responsibility for the animals they are raising, using the example of leaving one’s cattle or goats unsafe outside while they are comfortable indoors.
He emphasized that the Centre would like to see the participants’ model homes as examples for everyone in the community and urged them to learn time management.
The Principal encouraged the participants not to hesitate to return to the Centre individually to gain more knowledge. He added that some of them may have better farms and plantations, and they should allow the Centre to bring farmers to learn from them.
He informed them that the Muyira community is free to request the use of the Centre’s tractor, provided they are organized in groups to use it efficiently.
The training would cover enterprise selection, where participants would learn how to make the best use of the available land for appropriate agricultural practices. He emphasized that agriculture should be practiced with calculations for profit.
He encouraged the participants to teach their children agriculture and guide them on how to work.
Finally, he urged the participants to form groups once they return home so that the Centre can visit them for evaluation.
Remarks from the Assistant Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Mpigi, Mr. Francis Kabuye, who closed the training:
He thanked the National Farmers’ Leadership Centre (NFLC) for providing such a valuable training on mindset in agriculture for farmers in Mpigi and Uganda. He also expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries for funding the training. Additionally, he thanked the participants for sacrificing their time to be part of the training.
He noted that the training was timely due to the current challenges being faced in the coffee and banana sectors in the country, such as pests and diseases, politicians, and farmers harvesting unripe coffee, in addition to drying it on bare ground.
The government has numerous interventions and programs, including Operation Wealth Creation, NAADS, and many more that provide free seeds.
He urged the participants to take the lessons they had learned back to their communities and to take advantage of every opportunity that arises through workshops.
On behalf of the government, he pledged to visit the farmers after a certain period to evaluate what they have learned during the training.
He also noted that the price of coffee in Uganda has increased over the past few months and continues to rise. Therefore, he urged the participants to invest more in coffee.
The Assistant RDC further informed the participants that Mpigi District Local Government is partnering with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to provide youth skilling programs for those who may not be able to continue their education.
He concluded by urging the government to continue supporting the NFLC in training Ugandans in mindset change.
