On Monday, July 8, 2024, Gudie Leisure Farm hosted the much-anticipated Poultry Business Conference, themed “Greening the Chicken Value Chain.” This event, held in collaboration with the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), brought together key stakeholders in the poultry industry to explore climate-resilient innovations and sustainable practices. The event also featured an exciting innovation challenge where youth were invited to pitch their solutions, with 10 finalists showcasing their ideas in front of an expert panel of judges.
Opening Remarks and Keynote Presentation by Dr. Gudula Naiga Basaza
The conference commenced with a warm welcome from Dr. Gudula Naiga Basaza, Managing Director and founder of Gudie Leisure Farm. Dr. Gudula set the tone for the day by sharing the remarkable journey of Gudie Leisure Farm, a social enterprise established in 2009. With a mission to provide technical and business training to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the white meat value chain, the farm now operates in 873 parishes across 33 districts of Uganda.
Gudie Leisure Farm has built an impressive network of 388,513 Agripreneur Champions, 55% of whom are women, all of whom are value-chain linked. The farm’s comprehensive approach includes five major industries: feed mill, animal husbandry, a bistro franchise, nutraceuticals, and services. Additionally, Gudie Leisure Farm has partnered with 853 schools, reaching over 226,254 Youth Agriclub Agripreneurs.
Dr. Gudula highlighted the success of their poultry initiative, where 723 poultry cottage managers lead 100 out-growers each in their respective parishes. Currently, each youth in the network rears at least 100 birds, resulting in a staggering 7,730,000 birds in total. By 2030, Gudie Leisure Farm projects this number will grow to 100 million birds.
In her presentation titled “Greening the Poultry Value Chain in Uganda and Burundi,” Dr. Gudula urged participants to consider the environmental impact of the rapidly expanding poultry industry. She posed critical questions about the sustainability of current practices, such as the energy sources used for heating chicken brooders and the production of chicken feeds. She assured participants that the conference would address these pressing challenges through insightful discussions and innovative solutions.
Presentations from Key Industry Players
The conference featured several thought-provoking presentations from industry leaders, each offering unique perspectives on how to achieve a greener poultry value chain.
Owen Singura, Mukono Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MuZARDI)
Owen Singura, Project Coordinator for the Greening the Chicken Value Chain initiative at MuZARDI, emphasized the need for profitability in youth businesses within the poultry sector. He pointed out that many youth-run businesses are not as profitable as they should be, despite being active in the industry. To address this, the project he oversees has three key objectives:
- Strengthening the Multi-Stakeholder Coordination Platform: Coordinating all players in the chicken value chain.
- Mapping Activities of Actors in the Value Chain: Using surveys to identify and document the activities of various stakeholders.
- Coordinating and Disseminating Information Materials: Developing and broadly distributing content that is both informative and accessible.
Dr. Saul Daniel Ddumba, Climate Finance and Environmental Science Expert, Makerere University
Dr. Saul Daniel Ddumba’s presentation focused on the impact of unsustainable business practices on the growth and sustainability of the poultry value chain. He highlighted the significant economic and food security contributions of poultry farming to Uganda, while also addressing the adverse environmental effects.
Key points from Dr. Ddumba’s presentation included:
- Economic Impact: Poultry farming is a vital contributor to Uganda’s agricultural GDP, providing income for farmers and creating jobs across the value chain.
- Environmental Impact: Unsustainable practices, such as intensive water use, deforestation for feed crop cultivation, improper waste management, and emissions from poultry operations, are causing environmental degradation.
- Social Impact: Poor labor practices, inadequate wages, and limited employment opportunities for youth are prevalent in the industry.
Dr. Ddumba advocated for sustainable business practices, including efficient resource management, pollution control measures, and fair trade practices, to ensure the long-term viability of the poultry value chain.
Mulindwa Henry Aaron, Principal Research Officer, NARO-NaLIRRI
Mulindwa Henry Aaron discussed the opportunities for growth and sustainability in the poultry value chain through the adoption of climate-smart technologies. He emphasized that Uganda’s agriculture sector is highly vulnerable to climate change and highlighted the role of livestock production in contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.
Mulindwa shared several climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices that have been promoted in livestock production systems, including:
- Silvopastoral Systems: Combining tree growing with livestock production.
- Adoption of Improved Breeds: Focusing on breeds that are resilient to changing climates.
- Improved Feeding Regimes and Grazing Land Management: Ensuring efficient use of resources.
He also highlighted the economic advantages of Indigenous Chickens (IC), which are low-cost to rear and have high market value due to their resilience and adaptability. Mulindwa pointed out the superior performance attributes of the improved NARO Indigenous Chicken, which shows promising potential for higher egg and meat production.
The Innovation Challenge
Participating youth submitted their pitches, which were judged by a team of seasoned professionals in the field of agricultural and notable innovators. The pitches were evaluated based on their innovativeness, feasibility, and potential impact on the chicken value chain. After a rigorous evaluation process, Magezi Frank Rubandamayonza and Etyang Aaron emerged as the winners, receiving a grant of 2.5 million shillings for their smart brooder technology.
Their innovative solution uses solar energy to provide real time automatic heating, eliminating the need for human labour. “Our technology can connect to a mobile phone, allowing farmers to monitor their brooders remotely, even when they’re far away,” they explained.
The innovative solution addresses the common practice of using charcoal for brooding, which requires constant monitoring. “Many farmers use charcoal to brood their chickens, and some even sleep in the brooding house to keep monitoring. Our technology solves these problems,” they added.
Conclusion
The Poultry Business Conference at Gudie Leisure Farm was a resounding success, bringing together key players in the poultry industry to explore sustainable practices and climate-resilient innovations. The conference not only provided valuable insights but also fostered a collaborative environment where stakeholders could exchange ideas and strategies for greening the poultry value chain.
As Uganda continues to see growth in the poultry sector, events like this are crucial in ensuring that this growth is sustainable and environmentally responsible. Gudie Leisure Farm, with its commitment to empowering agripreneurs and promoting sustainable practices, remains at the forefront of this movement.
For more information on upcoming events and to stay updated on Gudie Leisure Farm’s initiatives, please visit our website.