29 March 2016

While I worked, my wife set up the farm

Shaban and Afusa Ausi working around their farm in Kabarole District. They are an example of how smallholders can make their farms generate constant revenue. PHOTO BY ZUURAH KARUNGI 




Nothing is more comforting like reaching your old age when you do not have to hustle to get food on the table. Shaban Ausi and his wife Afusa, now in their sixties, are one such couple that can relate to that.






The two are residents of Kicuna B village, Rwengaju Parish, Busoro Sub -county in Kabarole district.
After buying a piece of land at Shs3,000 in 1979, their first idea was to establish a banana plantation with an aim of reducing the cost of food at home.
But as time went, the food became more than the family could consume, so they decided to sell some.
In the process, they accumulated Shs90,000 and bought a cow in 1990. The cow had up to 10 calves, they decided to sell the rest and remain with four as they had limited land that could only support zero grazing.
“While I worked at Ministry of Works [part of which became the Uganda National Roads Authority] and made travelled to different areas, she remained at home working on the farm and budgeting for the revenue it brought in. When it was time to retire in 2012, I didn’t feel troubled because I knew there a source of income at home,” Mr Ausi says.






Benefits
With the proceeds from farming, they have paid for the education of their six children—the last one is in third year at Makerere University. They have provided basic needs for their family as well.
They began with a single plot, and have now added other four plots of land, installed solar power in their house, connected to piped water and bought a car.






How they manage the plantation
“I joined a farmers group called Rwengaju Model Farmers Association. We make study tours to different farms, exchange ideas and share lessons on how to improve our farms. This makes me work harder to reach the standards of other farms,” says Ms Ausi
They collect two to three basins of cow dung every morning, which they pile in a pit and spread in the plantation after they have fully decomposed. This acts as manure hence getting healthy bananas
After harvest, the banana stems and the peelings are feed to the cows, which helps increase the milk production
Also they use the leaves to mulch the plantation, this minimises the growth of weeds. They also weed constantly to keep the plantation clean.
For the case of cows, what you give is what you get; so they makes sure they have grass and water all the time even during the night.
He adds that if a cow is starved for even an hour the milk can drop by as much as 10 litres They also keep all the farm records: When the cows calve or start lactating. Every cow has its lactating period which they mark it on a calendar and stop milking it when the time reaches.






Market for their produce
Fortunately for them, their customers find them at home. For the milk, they have those who buy daily, weekly and monthly they all pick the milk from their home.
And bananas, they harvest twice a month and still the customers find them at home.
They produce 40 litres of milk in the morning and 30 litres in the evening. Each litre sells at Shs800.
In the plantation, they harvest twice a month, getting 20 bunches of bananas each time. Every bunch of matooke goes for Shs10,000.






Challenges
Like any other farm activity, there are always challenges, the biggest one Ausi says is the dry season where there is less pasture and water for the cows. This affects the milk production and calls for going long distances to look for pasture
The other challenge comes with the drop in price of bananas during the times when there is plenty. At times, the price can drop to as low as Shs5,000.
Theft of the bananas is another of their major challenges especially on their plantations, which are far from their home.






How they do the work on the farm
They employ three full-time workers on the banana plantation and another one for the animals.
“I never sit back; I constantly supervise them and work where necessary. I never sleep without going to all the plantations to check.” Ms Ausi says.






Advice
They advise working men and women to invest for the time they will retire. “Nothing takes money away like buying food because you will have to buy breakfast, lunch and supper day in day out” Ms Ausi notes.






editorial@ug.nationmedia.com






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