Dilis Alum

Alum is a subsistence farmer and mother of 7 from Agali village, in Lira District. One of the main crops grown in her garden is maize. This season, she was among the farmers who got seeds from Agro Supply Limited and has planted 6kgs of our SC Duma 43 maize variety on 2.5 acres of land.

Previously, she has been planting local varieties where she got an average of 700-800kgs from her 2.5 acres of land. This is her first time planting this variety on her land and she is highly optimistic of the season’s harvest with expectations of up to 1 ton (1000kgs) of maize, according to the quick and abundant maturity of the variety. She hopes to use the income proceeds from this and her other farm produce for household maintenance and contribution for school fees for her children. The process is usually that the maize is dried at home and later sold to middlemen, who charge farmers very low prices for their produce, which is a great challenge as farmers’ return on investment is highly limited. Agro Supply has plans to offtake farmer products from the field and link them up with more viable and ready markets.

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Challenges

She says that one of the biggest challenges faced by the farmers in her area is the high cost of seed, whose quality does not tally with the price they pay for it. It is the reason she decided to try out our varieties, but especially because she did not have to pay all the money in one go.

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The process is usually that the maize is dried at home and later sold to middlemen, who charge farmers very low prices for their produce, which is a great challenge as farmers’ return on investment is highly limited. Agro Supply has plans to offtake farmer products from the field and link them up with more viable and ready markets.

Another challenge faced by the farmers is Climate change, which has led to unpredictable seasons longer drought, and lower yields. Agro Supply has ventured into offering farmers Agronomy training, especially teaching them about climate-smart agricultural methods to adapt to climate change. We aim to reach and work directly with more farmers across Uganda to provide sustainable farming solutions and quality inputs. Together, we farm for the future.

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