📷 Harvest Money Expo 2024 – the future of agriculture is bright

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HARVEST MONEY EXPO

KAMPALA - The eighth edition of the Harvest Money Expo at the Kololo Independence Grounds continued to give credence to the fact that the future of agriculture in Uganda is bright. 

The three-day event, under the theme: “Farming as a Business: Post-Harvest Handling and Innovations,” offered a variety of lessons for farmers by bringing together a range of actors in the farming business, like coffee growers, banana growers, poultry keepers, technology companies, and cattle keepers. 

Many show-goers have described the show as a beacon of hope for the sector, offering financial solutions and optimism for Uganda's agricultural economy.

Farmers are being encouraged to take advantage of modern agricultural practices, like the use of fertilisers in their gardens for improved production, rather than sticking to traditional methods of growing food and rearing animals. 

That way, farmers can produce more for their own consumption and have enough to sell so as to put money into their pockets. If you are a farmer with the burden of pests and diseases, the harvest money expo is the right place to be.

Speaking to New Vision, Aston Nsimire of Prolific Innovations Limited, an agro-dealer, said he exhibited new innovations in affordable, but effective organic fertilisers that help farmers increase their yields.

“The organic fertilisers are made from a collection of waste food from hotels, markets, or breweries and are fed on black soldier flies,” Nsimire said.

He also noted that the flies at the farm produce urine and faeces that contain nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which are good for the crops. At the expo, there were a variety of irrigation solutions to enable seasonless farming. 

Portable spray guns or water guns, are doing wonders for both farmers and family members. According to Swaibu Isiko, the miracle portable spray gun can be used to spray animals like cows, goats, and pigs, but it can also spray crops. 

It comes with two types of noses, with one letting out stronger sprays, and this is used on animals. It can also clean a pigsty, as well as the pigs themselves, to keep them clean.

Benefits of expos

Agricultural expos are an effective non-mass media tool to market your company and its products, new and existing. The African Global Competitiveness Initiative identifies expos as the most accessible best practice for connecting to new markets.

Expos tend to exhibit higher rates of return than direct marketing and advertising. One day spent at an exhibition provides access to more clients from more places than one could ever visit during a typical workday. 

Expos and trade shows play a major part in showcasing the latest technologies and agricultural trends.

The expo was organised by Vision Group in partnership with the Netherlands Embassy, with other sponsors being National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries (MAAIF), Tunga Nutrition, Engineering Solutions (ENGSOL), Techo Serve, Uganda Investment Authority (UIA), Uganda Warehouse Receipt System Authority, KOICA-K-ABIC, dfcu Bank, Private Sector Foundation Uganda, AKVO International, Pepsi, and State House.

Photos: Maria Wamala, Eddie Sejoba and Mpalanyi Ssentongo
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