About the Maize Enterprise
The maize crop will be planted on land that has been planted with tobacco. Considering that the farmers have limited access to land, there will not be any land opening hence it will be substitution of tobacco for maize. High-yielding disease resistant varieties of maize will be promoted. In addition, a set of recommended agronomic practices will be applied, all to minimise pest and disease incidences. Irrigation of the maize crop will not be an option because it is not cost-effective, but rather, the farmers will grow the maize during the major rainy season without chemical control of pests and disease. This will ensure that the crop has access to sufficient moisture.
Training of farmers to impart skills in Good Agronomic Practices (GAP) will eliminate the need for chemical control of pests and diseases in the maize enterprise. Similarly, good animal husbandry practices will be used to minimise disease in poultry. An integrated approach to weeds, pests and diseases control will be applied. Control of weeds will be through a combination of intercropping maize with low growing crops (cover crop) such as cow peas, ensure optimal plant population at the time of sowing and manual weed removal using a hoe. Other measures will include ensuring timely weeding of the crop to minimize massive weed infestation as this would affect the maize crop. Pest and disease control will be assured through enhancing the farmers’ capacity to prevent, suppress and eradicate pests and diseases. These practices will include ensuring that the gardens are clean; timely farming operations such as planting, weeding and harvesting; using resistant varieties of maize; and removing infected crops. The control of diseases in poultry will also be assured through training of farmers to impart good animal husbandry practices and skills. Most important will be observance of hygiene and good aeration in the poultry unit. Good farming practices have the effect of controlling pests and disease incidences.
120 farmers in Hoima receive high yielding maize seeds under BFBM project
One twenty farmers from two sub-counties of Kitoba and kigolobya have receives high yielding maize seeds under the Better Farming Better Me project. This is the first phase of the project where each of the farmers received 10 Kgs of Longe 5 maize seeds for this season. The farmers who were purposefully selected belong to six groups, which the project is supporting. Majority of them are tobacco farmers.
Tugonzangane group, Bulyango Youth group and Kiryangobe farmers group are from Kitoba Subcounty, while the other three from Kigorobya include; Twimwikyangane , Abagamba Kamwe group, and
Kyamukwenda Twekambe farmers.
The farmers greatly appreciated the projected and as a sign of commitment, they have provided land, cleared it up, and will also contribute labor for the maize farm.
The harvested maize grain will be milled to produce maize bran, one of the ingredients of the chicken feed in addition to providing food for children to curb child malnutrition together with eggs. This integrated approach (Poultry – Litter – Maize – Maize bran) will promote a well-balanced ecosystem as well as synergy between the two enterprises.
Relatedly, the chicken litter with droppings, will be used as manure for the maize gardens .