project completion report for eco-agric uganda (1)

8/16/2019 Project Completion Report for Eco-Agric Uganda (1)

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/project-completion-report-for-eco-agric-uganda-1 1/19

PROJECT COMPLETION REPORTON

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF BEAN FARMERS THROUGH

IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY, QUALITY PRODUCE AND MARKETACCESS IN HOIMA DISTRICT

IMPLEMENTED BY ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION AND AGRICULTURALENHANCEMENT UGANDA

(Eco-Ag !c Ug"#$"%

FUNDEB BY "B! TRUST

JANUARY &' &-DECEMBER &' )

PROJECT COMPELITION REPORT “ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF BEAN FARMERSTHROUGH IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY, QUALITY PRODUCE AND MARKET ACCESSIN HOIMA DISTRICT” (Eco A!"#c U!$%&$'



COMPLETION REPORT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION AND AGRICULTURAL ENHANCEMENT UGANDA*

P o+ c T! . /Co01. !o#R 1o

Co01o# # /Economic empowerment of bean farmers through improved productivity, quality

produce and market access in Hoima DistrictP o+ c Ac o#20

N/AG "# N304 D" o5 A11 o6". S " $" o5 1 o+ c E#$!#g $" R 1o !#g D"a i/!"D/#$/%& 'ebruary &(%& )anuary &(%& )anuary &(%# )anuary &(%#

G "# A0o3# D!743 7 0 # !# o ".*g+ hs- &##,&##,(((+ *g+ hs- &##,&##,((( .from )anuary &(%& December &(%01P o+ c Coo $!#" o / P8o# / 2&34 .(1 $$& 354 #63

Nakakande )osephine .7s1

E0"!./ ecoagricuganda8gmail+comecoagricuganda&8gmail+com

9osephinenakakande8gmail+com F"9/ Nil

PROJECT COMPELITION REPORT “ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF BEAN FARMERS THROUGH IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY,QUALITY PRODUCE AND MARKET ACCESS IN HOIMA DISTRICT” (Eco A!"#c U!$%&$'

mailto:[email protected]








- I# o$3c !o#Environmental "onservation : Agricultural Enhancement *ganda .Eco;Agric *ganda1 is ano profit making organisation with a sole aim of promoting environmental conservation andagricultural production for livelihoods support in the communities+ <ts main focus is to

promote environmental conservation while improving agricultural production for better

livelihoods+ <ts ob9ectives are geared towards addressing environmental and natural resourcesdegradation, climatic change, low levels of agricultural productivity, high levels of foodinsecurity and low incomes in both poor rural and urban communities through establishmentof demonstration sites, tree nurseries and woodlots establishment= sensiti>ation andawareness through radio programs, capacity building and effective natural resourcesmanagement+ Eco;Agric *ganda has a commitment to gender mainstreaming and engagingvulnerable groups, particularly the girls in rural areas+

'or two years, &(%&/&(%0, Eco;Agric *ganda has been implementing a pro9ect aimed atincreasing productivity of beans and people?s income+ @he productivity levels were as low as#((kg/acre as per the baseline data available at the district and during pro9ectimplementation, the productivity levels of the crop rose up to $(( kg per acre+ @his wasattributed to the pro9ects? interventions where farmers adopted recommended practices usingimproved beans seed resulting in an increase in the productivity levels and output+

&- B"c: g o3#$Eco;Agric *ganda partnered with Agribusiness <nitiative .a i1 @rust to improve the

productivity of beans in Hoima district which was as low as 03( kg/acre .with an average of #3( kg/acre1, far below the recommended production level of about 6(( kg/acre+ @he

production unit for the crop .beans1 has been very low, with ma9ority of the households producing less than an acre+ Eco;Agric *ganda is promoting initiatives to increase productivity, the production units in the district through= improving farmer?s skills .capacity building1 and use of improved seed, improving the marketing of beans through= improving on post harvest handling, bulking, collective marketing and linking the farmers to markets for beans within and outside .Hoima1+ 'ollowing Eco; Agric *ganda?s past e perience in bean production and marketing with smallholder farmers in the district, farmers are benefitingfrom the intervention of addressing the constraints of low production and productivity due tolack of good planting seeds, BHH losses, poorly organi>ed agricultural marketing system,lack of market information plus e ploitation by middlemen+ 'armers in the district weree periencing green forward marketing of beans leading to even greater losses since they were

being paid less at bumper harvest thus highly reduced incomes+

All these factors were contributing to immense losses from the beans enterprise making theenterprise less profitable+ <n an effort to make a contribution to the local economicdevelopment of the area, Eco Agric *ganda sought financial assistance from a i @rust and to

promote bean production in the District+ @he support given has supported Economicempowerment of bean farmers through improved production, quality produce and marketaccess in Hoima District

)- P o+ c Go".*@he overall goal of the pro9ect was to increase productivity and profitability of beans among#((( small holder farmers by December &(%0+




@he overall goal/aim of the pro9ect was to enhance economic empowerment of bean producing farmers in Hoima district through increased sustainable production, reduced postharvest losses, agro;processing, value addition and market oriented farming;- T8 1 o+ c 8"$ 8 5o..o<!#g 71 c!5!c o4+ c !6 7/-

i+ trengthening production capacity of &(( farmer groups .#((( farmers1 to increase

production by Dec &(%0+ii+ <mproving the quality of produce through BHH trainings and farming as a business+

iii+ trengthening market linkages with established buyers, input stockiests for beans produce+

iv+ Bromoting collective production, bulking and collective marketing of beans+v+ Bromoting networking and farmer linkage to market information service providers

=- T8 1 o+ c o3 13 7 "#$ o3 co0 7Ac !6! ! 7 E91 c $ O3 13 7 E91 c $ O3 co0 7• 7obili>ation and

sensiti>ation of beneficiaries andstakeholders+

• "reation of awareness onuse of improved beanvarieties among farmers+

• "onduct trainings on= beans agronomic practices, post harvesthandling and marketing+

• Establish demonstration

sites for beans productionand postharvest handling+

• Bromotion of bulking for 9oint or co;operativemarketing of beans

• "arry monitoring andevaluation

• &(( 'armer groupsformed and supported in

beans production andmarketing skills

• #,((( farmers trained on beans agronomy, postharvest handling andmarketing+

• #((( acres of beans planted by the end of two years

• &(( demonstration site

setup for technologytransfer by December &(%0

• <ncrease in the grossmargins and benefitsfrom beans by the

beneficiary farmers+• <mproved standards of

living of the beneficiaryfarmers+

• <ncreased production and productivity of beans+

• <mproved postharvesthandling and valueaddition in beans+

• <mproved marketinformationdissemination and accessto better markets for

beans+• ulking for 9oint or co;

operative marketing of beans promoted

>- R ".!7 $ o3 13 7?o3 co0 7 (ACHIEVEMENTS%

M" : .!#:"g / - Eco;Agric *ganda established and strengthened a market link for beans,Crange 'leshed weet Botatoes and vegetables between the farmers and @ullow Cil through@raid inks+ 'armers are bulking these products at collecting centres and selling them to@ullow Cil+ A total of %& tonnes of beans from %3( farmers groups have been sold to @ullowCil through @raid inks from the pro9ect area for the last two years+

O 8 0" : 7/ - @here are other markets that have been established with schools, individual people and institution+ 'armers took part in bidding for 7akerere competent secondaryschool and t+ Andrea aahwa?s "ollege and got contracts to supply beans for 4 months+




I#c "7 $ 4 "#7 "c "g / - <nitially, at least each farmer was cultivating half an acre of beans+ "urrently average acreage is at & acres which has also increased beans output+

I#c "7 $ 4 "#7 1 o$3c !o#* efore the pro9ect, beans production per acre was #((;3(( kgs+After trainings in improved agronomic practices, beans production per acre increased to $((

kgs+

Po7 8" 6 7 8"#$.!#g @3!10 # 7/ &(( tarpaulins were procured and distributed to &((farmers+ At least .&#((1 i+e 4(F of the target population have adopted use of tarpaulinsduring postharvest handling which has improved the quality of beans to suit the @ullow Cilmarket and other markets in Hoima town+

I01 o6 $ "g o#o0!c 1 "c !c 7 + Different improved agronomic practices have improved thequality of beans+ At least $(F of the target population are growing the same beans variety,are properly spacing the beans in the field and are using integrated pest management+ @hishas greatly increased beans production from #(( kgs an acre to $(( kgs an acre+ <t is also animportant contributing factor to the established market+

T!0 .2 1."# !#g + 'armers also realised that it?s important to plant timely so as to e ploit theavailable market during a period of scarcity+ At least $(F farmers are planting early andselling beans fresh+ 'armers who are selling fresh beans have been able to establish a constantmarket and earn above & million shillings from an acre of beans+

Po7 8" 6 7 8"#$.!#g "#$ 6".3 "$$! !o#* At least 4(F of the farmers have adopted postharvest handling and value addition+ 'armers have learnt different traditional and improvedways of treating beans to increase shelf life+ @his has enabled them to start bulking the beansas they wait for prices to increase+ 'armers are sorting and grading beans for better marketsand prices+

E# 1 # 3 78!1 "!#!#g/- these trainings resulted into the formation of # ! As that areoperational+ @hey are well established and registered though with inadequate portfolio thatthey are struggling to increase+ @hese ! ACs have been instrumental in enhancing bulking+

B3.:!#g c # 7* As the pro9ect came to an end, farmers couldn?t afford rent for some bulking centres= they have therefore relocated some centres to cheaper houses that meet thestandards but the rent is affordable to them+ <n utema and isiiha, they were relocated andnow farmers are paying for the stores+ 'armers have also devised means of paying for the

stores by contributing some money towards the stores+

Foo$ 7 c3 ! 2 "#$ #3 ! !o# !01 o6 0 # /- <n the target population, there was improvedfood security and nutrition+ Ghile promoting beans, there was promotion of cassava

production+ @his has boosted food security and improved people?s livelihoods+

'armer?s income increased increasing the assets base, providing employment while other farmers opened up other businesses from money got out of selling beans+




Ac !6! ! 7 1 og 77 R ".!7 $ O3 13 7 R ".!7 $ O3 co0 7?R 73. 7District, sub;county and farmer leaderswere mobilised and sensitised about the

pro9ect and helped in mobilising farmers#&&( farmers mobilised and sensitised withothers coming from other none target subcounties like yabigambire

'rom #&&( farmers mobilised andsensitised, &(( farmer groups were formedand supported in beans production andmarketing skills

<ncreased production of beans was achievedas many farmers .#&&( farmers1 took on

beans enterprise and adopted theagribusiness approach using improved seedand better agronomic practices

#&&( farmers some from none target sub

counties . yabigambire1 were sensitised onthe use of improved bean varieties toimprove beans productivity

"onducted radio talk shows : run spotmessages on improved beans productionand marketing+

#&&( farmers under &(( farmer groups

formed all supported with improved beanseed for planting %4 radio talk shows : 0%5( spot messages

Cver #&&( farmers adopted planting

improved bean seed from well trusted agro;input dealers+ 'armers are mainly planting NA E # and its yielding better than other varieties like %0& they use to plant+ 5((kgof beans per acre were realised by $3F of the farmers+

ensitisation, awareness and capacity building on beans production usingimproved beans varieties was made to a big

population of farmers even to the non beneficiaries+

33& trainings were conducted on= beansagronomic practices, post harvest handlingand marketing to build capacity of thefarmers+ 05# demonstrations on= use of improved seed, fertiliser application and

pesticide use were also conducted+'armers were also trained on environmentalconservation, tree planting and gender

Cn average 033( farmers .5#F1 weretrained and their capacity enhanced on=

beans agronomy, postharvest handling,marketing, use of improved seed, pesticide,fertiliser application, environmentalconservation, tree planting and gender+

'armer?s knowledge and skills on beans production using= improved bean varieties,fertiliser application and pesticide enhancedthrough the trainings and demonstrationsconducted+ Cver $(F of the target population adoptedthe trained on method of beans productionusing improved beans varieties and

postharvest handling drying on tarpaulins+Even those outside the pro9ect area as a




result of the radio programmes and spotmessages adopted the method and are

practicing with good harvests reported+

<ncrease in production and productivity of beans e perienced= $((kg/per harvestednow compared to #((kg/acre harvested

before+

&$( fruit trees, 30& boundary trees and %&((coffee trees planted&(( demonstration sites for beans

production one acre in si>e were establishedand used for learning and 4 stores/bulkingcentres were also established to improve on

postharvest handling

&(( demonstration site setup for technologytransfer and 053( acres of beans planted bythe trained farmers .some farmers havesmall pieces of land1+4 stores/bulking centres each having amarketing committee were established toimprove on postharvest handling andmarketing of beans

'armers? knowledge and skills on bean production was enhanced through seeingand hands on at the demonstration sitesestablished+ ood practices were learnt and

productivity of beans has improved from#(( gs per acre to averagely $((kg per acre+

Bostharvest handling and value addition in beans improved= single colour, clean, pestfree beans well packed in sacks of %((kgswere bulked at the 4 centres+ 'armers wereable to sell readily to @allow oil companyand other traders at a good price of sh%5((/kg as compared to sh %#((;%4((/kg+<ncrease in the gross margins and benefitsfrom beans are being e perienced by the

beneficiary farmers after all theinterventions+

*sing the market information boards at the




bulking centres, farmers are easily gettingmarket information for not only beans

produce but even other crops like mai>e,rice+

'armers were trained on bulking,cooperative marketing, store managementand market linkages+ 7arketing committeeswere later established to manage the stores,carry out market survey and marketing of

beans+

&$# trainings conducted on storemanagement and marketing4 marketing committees established one per the bulking centre+

ulking for 9oint or co;operative marketingof beans promoted+ 'armers learnt theadvantages of bulking and cooperativemarketing+

ourcing market information and marketingof farmers produce has been simplified bythe established marketing committees+"urrently there is reduced e ploitation of farmers by middle men as farmers markettogether and the marketing committeenegotiate for better prices+

At least over #5 markets out lets thatinclude #( schools, @ullow Cil plus tradersin Arua and Hoima have been established+An 7C* has been made by farmers with@ullow Cil company through @raid links for the supply of good quality beans+

7onitoring and evaluation for the pro9ectactivities was carried out continuously bythe pro9ect coordinator, e ecutive director and board members+

Cne midterm pro9ect review and %4monitoring visits by board members and%&( farm visits by pro9ect coordinator andstaff were done to oversee pro9ect

performance and advice were required+

aps that e isted in the beans production process were filled through on farminterface with Eco;Agric *ganda technicalstaff+'armers were able to have well managed

beans gardens planted with an improved beans variety .NA E #1 and productivity per acre increased+




Gith better beans postharvest handling andmarketing together, farmers reali>ed better revenue from their produce whichcorrespondingly improved their standards of living as they had boosted income+

7arketing and market information has beensimplified by the bulking centers, marketingcommittees and marketing boards+

'armers? knowledge and skills on beans production using improved varieties isenhanced, bulking and co;operativemarketing promoted and market linkagescreated+




- D 6!" !o#7 !# o3 co0

No deviation in the outcome were registered

- I01"c c " $ 42 8 1 o+ c

'armer?s knowledge and skills on beans production has been enhanced+ efore the pro9ect,farmers had little meaning from a number of agronomic practices, like= planting in lines,ensuring that weeds should thoroughly be kept out of the garden+ As we speak now, farmersin the pro9ect area even the non beneficiaries, plant their beans in line, weed twice as early aswhen the weeds have 9ust appeared to ensure that weeds are completely avoided in thegarden+ @his has greatly improved beans? production : productivity+

Cver $(F of the target population adopted growing NA E # because of its high yield potential and high market demand+ 'armers were aware about the high yield potential of NA E # but seed was a problem+ o, with the implementation of the pro9ect using therevolving scheme, availability and access to NA E # seed is no;longer a problem andfarmers are happy about the pro9ect+

Due to marketing centers and marketing committees established, farmer?s income has been boosted up as farmers are able to bulk now and sale as a group+ ecause of this, they havesigned a contract with @ullow Cil "ompany to supply beans+

Bost harvest losses were identified as one of the many factors greatly reducing farmers?income from beans production+ 'armers now harvest beans as soon as the start drying, dry

beans on turplins and sort them before taking them to the bulking centers+ @his has boostedthe quality of beans and buyers are struggling for such good quality beans leading to market

being easily available and bean going out at a good price+

Eco;Agric *ganda put up marketing boards per marketing centre established+ <nformation onmarketing boards was given by the marketing committee members after their marketresearch, which enabled farmers choose appropriate markets for their produce+

'ood security has been enhanced+ 'armers are now able to store on average at least 0tins of beans in their houses to feed on as compared to before when a farmer could not sale andremain with beans to eat, a decision had to be made either to sell or be food insecure, or tokeep whatever you have grown for feeding and remain poor+

@he trees that were planted contributed to water shade conservation+

@here was increased income by Eco; Agric *ganda organi>ation staff as the pro9ect createdemployment to 3 more staff+ @hese were the A"DC, accountant, one e tension staff, oneenvironmental officer and the pro9ect coordinator+

'ormal and informal employment was created= one staff was employed by the Eco; Agric*ganda to coordinate the pro9ect, 4 store managers were employed, different 9obs in

postharvest handling and transportation were also created+ @he pro9ect also supported other 9obs that were in e istence like radio stations, secretarial bureaus and businesses dealing in

buying and selling beans+




<ncreased beans production had negative impacts to=• <t increased the amount of work done by women who are more involved in the enterprise

yet they still had their domestic work to accomplish+• <t increased demand for firewood as beans require relatively more beans to cook well+• <t reduced the beans price from sh %5(( to sh %#(( ; %4(( per kilogram+

* K 2 . 77o#7 . " # $@he following lessons have been learnt during pro9ect implementation-

uccess of a pro9ect and taking up or embracing an innovation, depends greatly on farmers?confidence and ownership of the pro9ect+ ince farmers manage the marketing of their

produce, other community members have been encouraged to participate in beans productionand are willing to bulk and sell collectively+

!alue addition, good quality produce and reliable supply, attract buyers with good price+@ullow Cil "ompany for all the time it has been around, it has been buying beans fromampala dealers+ ut after Hoima farmers improving on the quality of beans produced and

assuring the company of reliable supply, they were able to sign a contract+

7arket assurance is a key factor in creating sustainable agricultural production and deliverysystem+ After reali>ing successes in our beneficiary communities, more and more farmer groups and individual farmers wanted to come on board but we were unable to accommodatemore due to logistical limitations and scope of our activities+

Assured market availability at a good price is a serious trigger to increased production of

beans+ 'armers are now looking at contract farming to ma imi>e income from the beansenterprise+

'armers groups of about %(; %3 members are easier to work with= people concentrate, listenand easily reach an agreement+

Bro9ects need to link youth into a network because a pro9ect is more effective where there is agood social organi>ation, normally in the form of pree isting natural groups+

<nvolvement of local administration .sub county chief, parish chief, and "s1 in pro9ectintervention has a potential towards sustainability+ ub county and village leaders played a

big role in making the communities own the pro9ect to the point of continuing to produceeven after the end of pro9ect+

*se of demonstration method is one of the best methods of training adults to acquire a skill+'armers had hands on participation and understood better as they were seeing whatever was

being talked about+ 'ew mistakes on topics demonstrated on were e perienced in their gardens+

'* S " g2 5o 737 "!#"4!.! 2<nterventions sustainability strategies were though about from the beginning of the pro9ect as

below=




Availability and accessibility of good improved bean seed was a big challenge+ A revolvingscheme that is on;going among farmers is a solution for this+ 'armers are revolving the sameamount of improved NA E # seed received to other farmers .%( kgs of seed deposited to thegroup store and this seed is given out to more farmers the following season1 acting as a seed

bank, making the seed easy to access and obtain+ @he scheme is entirely managed by farmers

making it more sustainable+

"apacity building given to the farmers made them e perts in their communities and the skillsare being used after the pro9ect has closed+ @his is still helping farmers improve their farm

productivity even after closure of the pro9ect+

"ontract farming is a way of ensuring availability of market at a specific agreed on price+@his is what farmers are doing now and this is encouraging more farmers to increase acreagesand continue with production+

'armers were encouraged to save beans in form of seed in their groups at their respective

bulking centres+ @his is simplifying the issue of failure to save and store seed in their homes+@hey were also encouraged to seek for seed loans from their established A""Cs+

Eco;Agric *ganda trained a "ommunity ased @rainers ." @s1 per sub;county operated in+@hese stay in the communities and on a continuous basis help to bridge any e isting gaps andgiving solutions to farmers issues+ Eco;Agric *ganda maintains its connection with the " @ssupporting them where required+

'armers have been encouraged to save in their groups+ 'our .#1 ! As were formed tosupport farmers easily access finances in form of soft loan as obtaining loans from A""Cswas a problem to some+

7arketing of farmers? produce will remain a cardinal function of the organi>ation becausethis is a domain where a lot of losses are e perienced by farmers+ Eco;Agric *ganda willcontinue to strengthen the links established by farmers with the buyers from Arua, @ullow Cilthrough @raindlinks and local schools who need a lot of beans and 7ai>e and we hope to get

bigger market for beans if its quality and quantity improved+ @here was linkage of farmers tolucrative markets in @ullow Cil "amps on ake Albert shores where by an 7o* was signedthrough @raid links to supply beans to @ullow Cil as seen in the letter here with anne ed+

* C8".. #g 7

• Adoption for the variety NA E # was high because of high yield potential and highmarket demand+ However its production was affected by its susceptibility to bean rootrot+ However benefits to the women are limited by access to complementary resourcessuch as land+

• ulking was not ma imised 9ust because of inadequate initial capital to give farmersto bulk since the organisation could not pay all farmers that had immediate needs+

• ome fertilisers like DAB are e pensive, farmers can?t sustainably afford them+ @hisforce them to use relatively cheap fertili>ers with little impact failing them to realise

the potential of the beans




&* R co00 #$" !o#7<n &(%&, a i @rust together with Environmental "onservation and Agricultural Enhancement*ganda .Eco;Agric *ganda1 signed an agreement to undertake a pro9ect on IEconomic

empowerment of bean farmers through improved production, quality produce and marketaccess in Hoima DistrictJ+ Eco;Agric *ganda had to implement pro9ect activities aimed atincreasing productivity and profitability of beans among #((( small scale farmers+

@here has been commendable progress in attaining the set targets of the pro9ect, particularlyas regards to increasing beans production : productivity, farmer?s income, woodlotestablishment and water shade conservation during the pro9ect life+

Cver #&(( smallholder beans farmer households have been trained in various aspects of=improved beans production : productivity savings and credit plus tree planting, growing and

protection+ District level stakeholders, particularly members of the ocal Environment

"ommittees were also sensitised about environmental conservation, tree planting and climatechange+@he pro9ect has worked closely with the production department and institutions such as theDistrict Agriculture office, District environment office and the National 'orestry Authority tostrengthen natural resource management in the four sub counties of Hoima district+"onsequently best practices in resource management and livelihoods enterprises have been

promoted+ "ommunities have benefited and will continue benefiting+

Gith the pro9ect coming to an end, there is need to consolidate the pro9ect outputs and impact based on the lessons learnt during implementation+ @his will be achieved through adoptingan integrated approach to natural resource management focusing on conservation agriculturewith demonstrated social and economic impacts+ <mproved energy conservation technologieslike fuel saving stoves should also be adopted to reduce impacts on environment and forestdegradation+

'armers failing to support their daily needs is one factor that hinder them from bulking andcollectively marketing their produce+ upporting the formation of ! A per group is one of the discovered approach of enabling farmers obtain soft loans that can support them settlesuch requirements+

Cn our part .Eco;Agric *ganda1, our interventions under this pro9ect have greatly contributedtowards improved livelihoods of farmers+ However, the proportion of direct beneficiaryfarmers of #,((( is too small out of a total population of over 3$0,((( people in Hoimadistrict yet the pro9ected population is 40(,((( people+ @herefore, transforming smallholder agriculture into a highly productive, efficient, sustainable and competitive system, we need toscale out beans production to other areas of the district+

)*' G"17 !# !01. 0 # $ 1 o+ cGhereas implementation of the pro9ect has been a tremendous success, some gaps wereidentified+• @he approach has been mainly based on improving beans production : productivity pluswoodlot establishment and water shade conservation without integrating social and economic

impacts to address immediate community livelihood needs+




• During pro9ect implementation, it was realised that environment and natural resource planning and programming in the pro9ect area was not well coordinated+ <t desires a platformto churn ideas and step;up advocacy for natural resources planning, implementation andutilisation at district local government level+ @his is well in line with the up;coming )ointGater : Environment upport Brogramme by 7inistry of Gater and Environment as well asthe new "limate "hange Bolicy and <mplementation trategy, all of which advocate for greater integration of environment and climate change considerations at the local governmentlevel+

• Githin the pro9ect area, agriculture has caused ma9or deforestation/degradation and yetfarmers have not been e posed to green and conservation agricultural practices that aim at

protecting the soil, improving yield and income streams at household level+

• @here has been a realisation of the need to deliver a fully package of livelihoodsopportunities to beneficiaries including= food security, environment conservation, energyconservation and soil and water conservation as opposed to a single intervention of beans

production alongside tree planting+

Co#c.37!o#@he achievements gained in increasing beans production, bulking and ensuring sustainabilityof the practices by farmers are e pected to give a multiplier effect if farmers are further mentored and supported+ Ghen completely abandoned, the farmers may easily slide back totheir primitive practices and abandon whatever was learnt from the pro9ect+ @herefore, it isimportant to note that there is need for sustained support to farmers in order to start atransformation process that is routed through own thinking, abilities and practices+@he Cil/ as developments and the future infrastructural development .improved

infrastructure especially roads1 are also showing a trend of increased demand for beans in theAlbertine region especially due to population growth .immigrants1+

@he organi>ation is very grateful for the consistent support received from a i @rust since)anuary &(%& to implement the pro9ect+ <t is in the interest of the organi>ation that the effortsand achievements gained in the pro9ect register remarkable change in the lives of the

beneficiary communities in Hoima district+




A## 9 / A#2 o 8 I#5o 0" !o# "#$ 7 o ! 7

E7 "4.!78 $ 6!.."g 7"6!#g7 "#$ .o"# "77oc!" !o# (VSLA%@he organi>ation established !illage avings and oan Association .! A1 approach after amonitoring visit by the team from a i @rust in quarter three of the pro9ect+ 'our ! As wereestablished under four groups+ ince the commencement of these ! As, the groups aremore active as members meet regularly+ @his is enhancing collective marketing as the groupmembers can easily obtain soft loan for their immediate needs+7embers have started thinking of group investment to widen the revenue base of their ! As+ @hese associations are becoming a serious source of capital to farmers and if nurtured well, the ! As are e pected to progress and form avings and "redit "o;operativeCrgani>ations . A""Cs1+

I#$!6!$3". 5" 0 7 73cc 77 7 o ! 7'rom )anuary &(%&;December &(%0, a number of farmers registered successes which

demonstrated the additional incomes of the farmers by over 0(F which was the plannedtarget+

No* N"0 o5 4 # 5!c!" 2

Loc" !o# S3cc 77

% atusabe Anna,demo farmer

Kwobunyonyi village,Gagesa " <,

itoonya Barish,uhanika sub;county

Blanted % acre of beans, getting 3((kg of beans which she sold at %,%((,(((/L+ Heused the funds to buy a plot of land atGagesa, one of the rapidly growingtrading "enters in town+ He is planningto develop it into a commercial house

& unday ylver,demo farmer

itoonya parish,idukuru village

Blanted % acre of beans, getting $((kg of beans+ He sold the beans at %,3#(,(((/L+He got e cited for the achievementwhich he had never got in his lifetime+@he previous performance of the crop.before interventions by Eco;Agric*ganda1 was generally very low and itemerged as a surprise to have such

performance+aahwa

Aloysius7usai9a mukuru west Blanted one acre of beans and got $((

kgs+ He paid for school fees ande panded on his e isting business

agon>a shamila 7usai9a mukuru west Baid school fees for her childrenserwada

Emmanuel7usai9a mukuru west Baid fees

Nyangoma7argret

7usai9a mukuru west Baid fees and e panded on other enterprises to get more

Amara Kobert 7usai9a mukuru west E panded on the farmlandaahwa neema 7usai9a mukuru west Baid school feesserwada

Emmanuel7usai9a mukuru west Baid fees

Nyangoma 7usai9a mukuru west Baid fees and e panded on enterprises




7argretAmara Kobert 7usai9a mukuru west E panded on the farmland

arongo )ulius 7usai9a mukuru west Added on his investments in businessusinge eorge 7usai9a mukuru west Added on his investments in businessahwa silver 7usai9a mukuru west Engaged in other enterprises

<rumba 9ohn 7usai9a mukuru west E panded farm landusinge Edward 7usai9a mukuru west E panded farm land

Gokulira poul uhanika Gith money sold from beans, startedother businesses

7ugisa milly uhanika E panded on businessahwa poul uhanika E panded on the other enterprises

Cmuhere>aka9ura uhanika tarted other business<singoma tom uhanika tarted other business

arongo moses uhanika E panded on the other enterprisesAsimwe resty uhanika E panded on the other enterprises

Naiga oliver uhanika E panded on the other enterprisesarongo )ulius uhanika Added on his investments in businessusinge eorge uhanika Added on his investments in businessahwa silver uhanika Engaged in other enterprises

<rumba 9ohn uhanika E panded farm landusinge Edward uhanika E panded farm land

Gokulira poul uhanika tarted other businesses7ugisa milly uhanika E panded on business

ahwa poul uhanika E panded on the other enterprisesCmuhere>aka9ura

uhanika tarted other business

I#7 ! 3 !o#". . 6 . 73cc 77Eco;Agric *ganda is now known for the promotion of beans in the district+ A recent studydone to establish the production levels of beans in the district over a period of %( years notedthat in &(%& and &(%0, there was apparent increase in beans production which was slightlyhigher than in all other years+ @his was attributed to the pro9ect of IEconomic empowermentof bean farmers through improved production, quality produce and market access in HoimaDistrictJ, that was implemented by Eco;Agric *ganda+




A## 9 &/ P8o o7

Farmers planting in the demonstration garden Man and wife weeding their beans

farmers beans garden intercropped with maizeCommunity Based Facilitator monitoring a farmer

A farmer drying beans on a tarpaulin Farmer learning how to sort and gradebeans




A farmer showing off hisharvest ready tobe taken for bulking

Sacs of beans on wood pallets bulked

Marketing board at the bulking centre

Farmers measuring their produce before bulking it




Farmers measuring their produce before bulking


project completion report for eco-agric uganda (1)

Documents