Kakumiro Farmers Urged to Diversify with Four-Acre Model

Farmers in Kakumiro District are being urged to pivot away from relying on a single crop and instead embrace the four-acre farming model. This agricultural approach, championed by President Yoweri Museveni, encourages the strategic use of limited land for a combination of productive enterprises, including coffee, bananas, fruits, food crops, and livestock.

During a distribution event in Bugangaizi West, Minister of Works and Transport, Mr. Fred Byamukama, handed out 240,000 coffee seedlings and 250 piglets. He emphasized that these inputs should serve as a foundation for building sustainable household income sources, rather than merely distributing materials.

“His Excellency the President has always called for adoption of the four-acre model farming techniques. However, people have not done it,” stated Mr. Byamukama, urging farmers to integrate modern farming practices. Each recipient farmer received 450 coffee seedlings, intended to establish approximately one acre, with advice to intercrop with bananas.

The minister highlighted that the initiative aims to create multiple income streams from the same land parcel. He also specifically allocated 20,000 coffee seedlings for the youth, recognizing agriculture as a vital livelihood option for the unemployed.

Mr. Byamukama strongly advised farmers with small landholdings against growing sugarcane, suggesting it is more suitable for those with expansive farms. He stressed that the four-acre model is the way forward for subsistence farmers seeking to transition to commercial agriculture.

Beneficiaries expressed optimism. Ms. Tumukunde Gauda, who received a piglet, anticipates it will add to her household earnings due to the animal’s rapid reproduction rate. Mr. Smart Mugongo sees the coffee seedlings as a means to fund his children’s education.

Ms. Margret Mbabazi, the Kakumiro District production officer, noted that the input distribution addresses the significant cost of establishing coffee gardens, where a single seedling can cost Shs2,000. She also pointed out that farmers investing in irrigation and water management are better equipped to handle dry spells, which have recently impacted crop yields.