Uganda farmer’s oil seeds of prosperous future

Farming is a cutthroat enterprise, and Uganda’s oil seed industry is no different. The crop plays a massive role in the country’s agricultural sector, but farmers have struggled to commercialise their production. That is, up until now. A recent cooperation has brought commercial success to Michael Ikara, a Ugandan farmer of oil seed.  He used to struggle to make a living from his crops, but since uniting to form the P’Kwi farmer-to-farmer cooperation, his business has grown at a rapid rate.

With a little cooperation and negotiation, a small-scale farmer named Michael Ikara has injected success into Uganda’s oil seed industry. His path to success has shown that bulk selling creates a larger customer base than ever before.

We’re no longer buying bad quality seeds from unscrupulous suppliers,” Michael says. “Before, we also used to individually sell our sunflower seeds and we didn’t get a lot of money. Now, with bulk selling, we get a much better price.”

These words are echoed by Duncan Hwesige, a senior advisor at SNV, which is an assistance company that helped introduce manufacturing and business protocols into the co-operative.

There’s real strength in numbers and there are so many advantages associated with farmers coming together to cooperate. It’s very easy for a group of farmers who are in a co-operative to negotiate for a better price and also reduce the costs of marketing.”

The Ugandan government has recently rewarded the farmers’ efforts by passing the Seed Certification Act, which forces seed suppliers to provide farmers with access to high-quality seeds. Good seed is the first step on the path to large-scale agricultural production. Michael knows this, and understands that commercial production and success are one and the same thing.

The farmers have also learnt many tips from SNV’s assistance. Birds used to ruin Michael’s crops, but after learning that rubbing pepper on the sunflowers will chase the birds away, Michael is now able to cultivate healthy crops that bring in more money for his family. In fact, business in the co-operative has been so good for Michael that he has even been able to buy oxen to help with his farming. It is, after all, so much easier to have a team of oxen pulling a plough than having to do it by yourself. His newfound success has helped him to pay for his children’s education, and has given them a roof over their heads – which is something they never had before.

The future is looking sunny for these farmers. With a little hard work and outside assistance, their energy and efficiency have brought the kind of success that would have been impossible without teamwork.