Youth in agriculture: Meet Anthony Ssenyonga, an agri-entrepreneur in Uganda
Anthony Ssenyonga, 29, is an agro-input dealer, plant doctor, and entrepreneur whose innovative use of digital tools is supporting smallholder farmers in his community and beyond. He is a leader among the youth in agriculture in Uganda, inspiring other agri-entrepreneurs. Before his rise as a digital agricultural champion, Anthony was a small-scale vegetable farmer, helping…
How agro-dealer training in Uganda is reducing pesticide risks and making farming safer
Agro-dealers can play a critical role in sharing knowledge about pesticide safety and biopesticides. Misusing chemical pesticides harms farmers, consumers, animals and the environment. However, safe handling of pesticides and the use of nature-based alternatives help to reduce these risks. Nevertheless, many farmers lack access to relevant information. It has been estimated that less than…
Empowering agro-dealers: A toolkit for safer and sustainable farming in Uganda
PlantwisePlus has reached a milestone in relations with the government of Uganda. On 14 November, the programme handed over a training toolkit for a module on lower-risk plant protection products to the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF). A team collaboratively developed the resource to help train Uganda’s agro-dealers. It forms part of…
Understanding mango mealybug – a significant crop pest
The mango mealybug (Rastrococus invadens) is an invasive pest outside its native home in Southeast Asia. It threatens mango crops, particularly affecting smallholder farmers. This scale insect pest lowers mango yields and quality, and because it’s a quarantine pest, it can also impact trade.
Training module to help agro-input dealers in Uganda reduce the risks of highly hazardous pesticides
CABI has worked in partnership to produce a training module on lower-risk plant protection products to help agro-input dealers in Uganda reduce the risks associated with highly hazardous pesticides to deal with a range of crop pests.
Blueprint for change: how a training manual will support pesticide risk reduction in Uganda
In the evolving landscape of pesticide regulation and safety, well-crafted training manuals are indispensable tools. They ensure that people who use pesticides can effectively navigate and implement risk reduction strategies. These knowledge resources can become a blueprint for changing behaviour around pesticides.
Plant clinics showcased at Harvest Money Expo in Uganda to help empower the country’s young smallholder farmers
The CABI-led PlantwisePlus programme showcased its plant clinics at the Harvest Money Expo in Uganda to help empower the country’s young smallholder farmers to grow more and lose less to potentially devastating crop pests and diseases. The Harvest Money Expo, organized by the Vision Group in partnership with the Netherlands Embassy in Uganda, attracted over…
Can Uganda’s agro-dealers become champions of sustainable pest control?
The global surge in pesticide use has helped to increase agricultural productivity. However, it has also raised alarms about the risks they pose to health and the environment. In many low- and middle-income countries, agro-input dealers (commonly called agro-dealers) play a central role in supplying farmers with inputs such as fungicides, herbicides and insecticides. They…
Youth Skills Day: empowering and supporting young people in agriculture
To mark Youth Skills Day, Deogratius Magero, CABI’s Youth Engagement Manager for Africa, discusses why youth skills development programmes are vital for food security.
Empowering young men and women through agricultural skilling in Uganda
Youth unemployment continues to be a pressing issue in Uganda, particularly among secondary school graduates. The lack of job opportunities not only affects individuals but also poses challenges to the overall development of society, writes Harrison Rware, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, and Caroline Aliamo, Projects Officer, based at CABI’s regional centre for Africa, Nairobi, Kenya.