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Food Security in Schools through Conservation Farming (CF) Interventions

Pupils of Primary 4 to Primary 6 of Pasia Primary School in Agule Sub County, Pallisa District participated in a CA competition during the first planting season of 2014.

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• Schools
• School
• Children

Read more: Conservation Farming Introduced in Schools

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REDS is an active member of the National Climate Smart Agriculture Task Force (NCSATF) and is fully involved with the various stakeholders for the formulation of the Country Climate Smart Agriculture Programme and the Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) work plan to strengthen the National Task Force.

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• Conservation Farming
• Policymakers

Read more: Creating Conservation Farming Awareness among Policy Makers

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A Learning Platform for Conservation Farming (CF) Mechanized Minimum Tillage CA practices was first introduced to Ibuga Prison Farm in Kasese district - Western Region during the second planting season of 2012. Ibuga established 5Ha of CF-MT mechanized ripping from which it realized 3.2 tons of maize grain per acre compared to the 2.2 tons realized under conventional tillage with the same treatment (same seed variety with fertilizer application).

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• mechanized
• Conservation Farming

Read more: Collaboration with Government & Learning Institutions

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“Even if the project ends now, I have the capacity to sustain myself, I am now rich and I will continue practicing the CF Hoe technology”. Mupanda of Kasese district (South Western Region) is a very happy man because he has earned respect from the community for being a skilled CF Trainer and a CF advocate on radio, reaching out to the masses in his area.

Mupanda a Depot Committee Extensionist (DCE) was invited with his group to attend CF training by a REDS Field Officer (FO) in 2011. His village is in a hilly area where soil erosion is a problem. During the training the issue of CF controlling soil erosion with crop residue retention and min-till practice captured his attention and it compelled him to try out the technology. He started with 0.1Ha of maize and was amazed by the reduced soil runoff and the 0.3ton harvest of maize compared to 0.1ton he used to get before. The combination of controlling soil erosion and increased yield drove him to open up 0.4Ha of CF in the following season and was also convinced to use herbicide . Weeding was one of the farming activities that bothered him and his family members for they had to wake up very early and spend hours digging out the weeds furthering soil disturbance. He believes the crop yields were very low due to lots of weeds. “My wife and children used to complain about the hard labour. It was not easy and was tiresome.“

“Words cannot express how CF has made a difference in our daily lives”. I no longer physically put a lot of effort in managing gardens including my coffee plantation, I use my money earned from CF crop yields to buy herbicides and pay for labour to spray and time for land preparation is much less. Mupanda has completed his residential house which he had failed to roof. Over the years Mupanda has realized that even without fertilizers the soil is rejuvenated as evidenced by the controlled soil erosion and the subsequent high yields. He declares proudly that his wife doesn’t have to spend all her time in the fields anymore and no longer sees her with muddy feet and is healthier. Mupanda is content with his acreage of 1Ha under CF.

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