Dear Fatima,Malcolm and all neighbours

We are researching the questions and yes,we will have them all answered quickly:

1.Iganga district lies at an altitude of 1,138 m (3,732 ft.) above sea level and just north of the Equator.

2. Mean annual rainfall is approximately 1 250 mm occurring on 100-130 days per annum and is mainly associated with the equatorial troughs in April-May and September-November. Although due to deforestation droughts occur more regularly.

3. The soils are predominantly ferralitic with reddish brown sandy loams.

4-5. In our intial plan we were planing to identify 100 vulnerable farmers. We have scaled this down to 15-25. I'm not sure of the amount of the land we have but I guess up to now these farmers have there own small plots and we will put these together. Hope this makes sense!!!

6-7 We need credit for seeds of crop vegetable varieties and fruits that are adapted to local conditions and ecological sustainability, including seasonal vegetables and fruits including: avocados, mangos, guava, citrus, jack fruit and papaya. We are also seeking credit to buy farming tools and equipment.

8. We hope to facilitate access and training on appropriate agricultural technologies and farming practices (including techniques for sustainable soil and water management, integrated pest management, weed control,storage etc)

9. We will need an onsite volunteer trainer. S/he will train local people in initiating income generating activities, especially through agriculture practices; training them in basic activity management and crop growing practices for market orientation, quality control and post harvest handling,marketing among others.

We also need to create in the long term posters, training brochures and a video on farming practices.

10 I am not sure if these farmers have livestock. Maybe someone else could tackle this question!!!

11-12 We need to tackle the new proposal urgently,find out the costs and maybe would identify the 15-25 women.

Please feel free to research these questions and answer them again,
thanks,
Sinéad

Hi Neighbours,
I hope everybody had a great weekend,

Here are some more answers for the questions raised:

5. Number of people and size of the area to be planted:
Small-scale subsistence agriculture occupies 3 949 km2 while large-scale farming occupies only 19.4 km2. The farm holdings average two hectares supporting an average family of eight people.
The major source of agriculture labour is the family comprising of husband, wife, children and any other dependants from the extended family that may be living in the homestead.

6.availability of seeds:
A wide variety of crops are grown under traditional farming systems to provide food and income, the most important of which are sweet potatoes, cassava, maize, bananas, rice, yams, arrowroot, millet, sorghum, beans, pea nuts, soya beans, simsim, tomatoes, cabbages, pineapples, and the traditional cash crops coffee and cotton.

A typical farm of a peasant in the District comprises of some perennial crops like coffee and bananas with fruit trees (orange, mangoes, avocados, jack fruit and papaya) and shade trees like Ficus natalensis and Albizia sp. grown adjoining the homestead in an area constituting approximately 25 percent of the total land holding. The rest of the land is usually under annual crops and fallow.

Almost all farmers use their own seed saved from the previous season except for cotton.

10. type and number of livestock in the area to be planted:
Families keep small numbers of livestock ranging from 1-10 heads of cattle, 2-10 goats, 2-4 sheep, 1-5 pigs and over 10 chickens.

I'm still looking into all the questions

the community mobilisation will start as soon as possible but first there will need to be a meeting for Leaders (local councils, representatives, government institutions and authorities like NAADS)

lets keep each other posted,
thanks, Sinéad

Hi Fatima,

this does look a good website. We would need to research it more, find out how much the training costs to members, where the training takes place, and how many days does it involve. I mean the actual real cost of the training. It could be great in the future when hopefully the women have extra produce to sell but lets not get ahead of ourselves.

Another great website with a wealth of knowledge is sustainable livlihoods international
www.slint.org
Keep up to date with environmental concerns and campaigns in Uganda here. I'm attaching here a newsletter from Slint and our fellow neighbour, Marsha, was editor.

best wishes,
Sinéad

Sustainable Livelihoods Newsletter-A magazine of SLINT[1].pdf

Hi Ken,
looks like another great website.Again we will definitely use it.
I have attached their application form and their distance learning training manual here,
Sinéad

NewProject_Application.pdf

Agfo_manual_english_small.pdf

HI All

It is good to note that you have started the kitchen compost heap.

Also the animal and polutry dropings are already fertiliser itself, butt needs to be prepared well so that it does not over fertilize the plants.

Once you have the people set and the plots for the farming do this:
1. Do raised beds 3m x 5m facing the rows north to south, so that you will have good sunshine as it rises from the east and sets in the west. The beds should be raised atleast 20cm with a pathway of 40cm in between each bed.

2. Clear any trees and shrubs from this raised bed and chop it up as finely as possible and throw it into the kitchen compost heap.
cut small plants and remove any flowers or seeds on weedsthrow away from the beds, rest of the weeds must be cut in level to the soil and left right were it is.

3. Mix the animals and poultry dropings with some sand ( mooist to form small marbles) and then put this into the furrows and cover with a little soil. Now you can put your seeds in these furrows and coverlightly with sand and the mulch ( weeds and grass, etc). Please water this bed twice a day once in the morning and late afternoon until the seeds have germinated and till they are strong.

4. make sure that you have proper spacings for the plants to grow healthy.

5. By this time you should have completed your drip irrigation system providinh water tp plants as the sun rises.

6. Clear any weeds that may grow on the beds.

7. After 2 weeks of germination, fertilize once again with the animal and poulty dropings mixed with some sand next to each plant.

Tips:When providing water, never water plants in mid day or evening, as this will cause stress to the plants and cause fungal diseases on the plant. Always water in the early mornings no matter how hot the day will be.

Chicken and animal dropings on their own, is very powerful for plants and has to be mixed up with sand before applying, as a rule you will use 3 handfuls of this per square meter.

Collect wood fire ash and use as a natural source of potassium for the plants, sprinkle this on the soil or mix with the animal and poultry dropings with sand. Hint, use 1 handful to 10 kgs of mixture.

a handful of wood ash mixed in 5l of water and left over night to settle is an ideal general fungacide and insecticide sprayed over plants.

Plant garlci, marigold or nasturims armound the beds as a natural insect reppler.

Crush garlic and marigold plants together and use this in 5l of water to spray onto plants as a natural insectide.

More tips will follow in due course.

Thanks

--
Malcolm