Help Ugandan small farmers to higher grain harvest
Through the Organic Cereals Program, we empower Ugandan smallholder farmers with the essential resources to boost cereal production -including expert knowledge, quality seeds, and professional training in good agronomic practices. This initiative strengthens food security and supports sustainable livelihoods across the region.
Agriculture is the predominant source of income in Uganda. But many of the small farming families harvest much less than they could. In times of a lack of grain imports on the markets, bread is scarce. The Organic Cereals program helps: Ugandan small holder farmers receive high-quality seeds and instructions for sowing, crop change, harvesting, drying, storage and much more.
The idea goes back to the Ugandan social entrepreneur Justine Mukazungu and her start-up Stina Foods: Justine has been training farmers for years: women in grain cultivation and makes them suppliers: her baby porridge production.
She supplies her nutritious baby porridge to hospitals, children’s homes and supermarkets around the country. For this, it relies on a productive cereal harvest in her home country.
Many other Ugandan organizations have joined forces in in the program and train hundreds of small holder farms: in several regions of Uganda.
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Three days training in grain cultivation, a lasting better life
The typical small farms: in Uganda cultivate about 1-2 acres of their own land. They participate in the program to increase their yields and settle more in the markets. This is how Organic Cereals works step by step:
Professional training in grain cultivation. The small farmers: learn how to optimally grow, water, harvest, thresh, dry and store the cereals. Rich illustrated training material helps with this
High quality seed is one of the most important requirements for a rich harvest. In the program, we supply small farmers: with seeds for soybeans, millet, beans and corn. As in the picture, many of them receive pure seeds for the first time
Rich harvest for the poorest families: The evaluation of our first training cycles shows that 99,3 % of farmers now harvest more than before the program and increased their incomes by an average of 84%.
Latek’s Agribusiness Enterprise (LABE) buys the maize of farmers at a premium price, providing reliable and fair market. LABE then grinds the maize and sells the maize flour. Like in a cooperative, a part of the profits are disbursed to farmers, so they benefit twice.
Every training in Organic Cereals costs us 350 €. To this end, we can equip every participant with high-quality seeds and teaching materials. We also support the exchange between the school-based organisations (learning viscop) so that they can learn from each other. Important: Even after the training, the small farmers remain in contact with their trainers.
Every donation helps to enable even more small farmers to participate in Stay Seed
I learned how productive my land can be for grain.
Lillian Scovia attended the cereal training. She used to work with her parents and younger siblings in the field instead of going to school. But now the now 20-year-old can harvest much more – and enable their siblings to do school.
The program is supported by the Foundation Development Cooperation of the State of Baden-Württemberg and the Heidehof Foundation.
