President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni praised farmers in the Sebei subregion for using the Four-Acre Model, a policy that aims to increase land productivity and household incomes.

During his visit to Bukwo District today, the President congratulated farmers for responding to his appeal to diversify their businesses on tiny areas of land to improve both food security and economic sustainability.

He made the remarks at the residence of Mr. Nicholas Chelimo, a model farmer from Ngeny Village, Kapkoros Parish, Bukwo district.

President Museveni today began his three-day wealth creation and Parish Development Model (PDM) performance evaluation tour in the Sebei subregion, which will culminate on December 12, 2024.

“I’m glad to see people waking up.” Everywhere I walk, I see people making progress. This is precisely where we come from. When I first visited the Sebei region in 1986, I discovered that the people were hardworking, but they were doing it without “Ekibaro” (calculation),” he stated.

“They would grow maize for only nine months. First and foremost, maize is a low-value crop unless grown on a huge scale. If you grow it on a tiny scale, you won’t make any money, which was a problem throughout the country.

The President described the National Resistance Movement’s (NRM) efforts to teach Ugandans about agricultural practices that are appropriate for the size and demands of their land.

“NRM taught you about two types of agriculture: extensive and intense. Extensive agriculture entails large-scale production of items such as maize and cotton. These goods do not yield a significant income per acre, but if done on a large scale, you will receive both food and money. For example, much of the animal feed is made from maize, so you can’t rear poultry, piggery, or even cows without it,” he stated.

“If a farmer cultivates 1,000 acres of maize, they can earn a lot of money, even a billion shillings. The same goes for crops like sugarcane. Growing ten acres yields ten million, whereas growing 100 acres yields one hundred million. To be lucrative, these crops must be grown on a large scale, he stressed.

The President also discussed the issues that small landowners face and the solutions that have been developed to help them.

“Because many individuals had little plots of land, we developed a different strategy, the four-acre model. The model recommends seven actions. One acre should be set out for coffee, and another for fruit. High-value crops such as apples and grapes can thrive in colder climates like Kapchorwa. These are imported from South Africa, however they can be cultivated locally.In warm regions, you can grow mangoes, pineapples, and oranges,” he said.

“The third acre should be used for pasture, with the fourth for food crops for your household. For the backyard, we recommend poultry for eggs, which takes up little room, and piggery. Those who live near wetlands should farm fish along the swamp’s outskirts rather than in its center.

President Museveni emphasized the importance of irrigation and the necessity to save water.

“We need irrigation, but where will you get it if you are destroying the wetlands?” Irrigation may readily be scaled and increased in locations such as Kapchorwa and Mt. Elgon, according to the President.

“In Bushenyi, we witnessed how transforming it is. Dr. Muranga, a banana scientist, used irrigation and now harvests 53 tonnes per acre, compared to the nearby Banyankole, which harvests 5.3 tonnes. According to my sources in Brazil, they can reach 80 tonnes per hectare. “Clearly, irrigation is a game changer,” he stated.

On the other hand, Mr. Chelimo, a 54-year-old father of seven, is a living example of how modern farming practices can alter people’s lives.

Beginning with only two acres of maize inherited from his father, Mr. Chelimo has grown his farm into a profitable operation that includes zero grazing, banana growing, coffee cultivation, maize production, and local poultry farming.

“In 2000, I just had two acres of maize planted in open ground. “That was all I inherited from my father,” Mr. Chelimo says.

“For years, making major progress proved tough. But everything changed in 2019 when I saw the President’s message on the four-acre model on television,” he explained.

Inspired by President Museveni’s advice, Mr. Chelimo increased his farm by two acres, increasing his total to four.

He expanded his farming interests by introducing coffee cultivation.

“I planted coffee, and it has been a game changer for me. I produced 800 kilograms of Arabica coffee last year, and I expect 1,000 kilograms from an acre this year,” he triumphantly stated.

Mr. Chelimo’s desire to study and improve his techniques led him to President Museveni’s model farm in Kawumu in 2019.

“Visiting the farm in Kawumu opened my eyes to the possibilities of modern agriculture. “I also installed a biogas system, which has made my farm more sustainable,” he explained.

With three cows, a productive coffee plantation, and a variety of crops, Mr. Chelimo has provided for his family and generated job opportunities.

“I now have two permanent staff at my property. Today, I get a net income of 30 million shillings per year, which is significantly more than I do as a teacher,” said Mr. Chelimo, who has been a senior teacher at St. Joseph’s Secondary School in Bukwo for over 30 years.

Reflecting on his path, Mr. Chelimo encouraged other farmers to use the four-acre concept and contemporary farming techniques.

“The four-acre model has really changed my life. “It’s a solution for smallholder farmers to maximize income while ensuring food security,” he said.