Kentim Co-Operative Model Excites Kampala Farmers

Kentim Integrated Agricultural Training Centre (KENTIM-KIAT) in Kyanja-Kampala has started a cooperative farmers’ savings model that has excited Kyanja farmers.

It is based on Kenya’s Nyeri corporative model that is largely praised across Africa.

“Farmers no longer fear to stock chicken or grow mushrooms even if they don’t have cash because Kentim’s arrangement with peri-urban farmers ensures that they have the inputs thru their SACCO and have guaranteed market,” Jadreth Kyomugisha the agribusiness specialist at Kentim stated

“The model is implemented through a partnership between Kyanja SACCO and KENTIM-KIAT but because our pilot was successful, we have expanded the project to cover a greater part of Kampala peri-urban & farmers. Farmers pay back because they easily access the market and they get value addition skills that increase shelf life of their products,” Jadreth added

Dr Kyobuguzi the proprietor and CEO Kentim noted that, the model rotates around equipping farmers with technical knowledge along the value chain and inputs like mushroom seeds, piglets, poultry & feeds, tomato, water mellon and onion seeds on credit through the SACCO.

“KENTIM through our network of service providers who are mainly our certificate and diploma agriculture students who work under supervision give extension services to the beneficiaries and later Kentim links the farmers to the market. The farmers are then paid through the SACCO.”

According to Kyobuguzi, the SACCO-HUB cooperative model is the way to go as it has successfully worked in Kenya where they benchmarked it.

The model helps the farmers to get good market for their products but also keep receiving the inputs even if they don’t have cash.

Kyobuguzi a farmer and serial entrepreneur was recently trounced in politics and his bid to become Kashaari MP was thwarted.

Shortly it was rumoured on social media that he quit politics to concentrate on farming, agro-tourism.

KENTIM-KIAT is a business incubation centre of Kentim University.