Transforming Uganda’s Agriculture: How Smallholder Farmers Are Leading the Way
In northern Uganda, 35-year-old Joseph Kojo is championing peer learning and collaboration to improve agricultural productivity and community success.
It was a bright, warm morning in northern Uganda’s Oyam District when I paid a visit to Joseph Kojo. The 35-year-old was inspecting seedlings in his greenhouse and looked pleased to see their growth. The seedlings are slated to be collected by farmers in his community once the rainy season starts.
Joseph has many roles. He is a devoted father to his two children and a skilled farmer who works with his wife to grow a variety of cash crops near their neatly kept homestead. Joseph is also an agricultural officer, an extension worker in the district’s local government, and a lead farmer supporting TechnoServe initiatives in his community.
Finally, Joseph is a member of the Green Generation Farmer Group, which brings farmers in his community together to learn, collaborate, and network.
Overcoming Challenges Through Collaboration
As an agricultural officer and extension worker, Joseph plays a key role in promoting agricultural development and improving farmer livelihoods. When Joseph started collaborating with TechnoServe two years ago, he faced a variety of challenges.
He did not know how to effectively tackle some pests and diseases on the farm. Joseph also needed to learn innovative farming approaches and techniques to share with the farmers he supported. Collaborating with TechnoServe was the perfect opportunity. Joseph joined the Northern Uganda Horticulture Market Acceleration Program (NU-HortiMAP) in 2022, one of over 7,000 smallholder farmers in the program.
Horticulture in Uganda
Over a period of seven months, NU-HortiMAP teaches farmers holistic and inclusive approaches to sustainable horticulture development in the region. Joseph learned good agronomic and regenerative adaptation practices such as mulching and the use of high-breed, high-yield, and pest-resistant seeds.
“I got training on nursery bed establishment and management, agronomy, pest and disease control, as well as spraying techniques,” he shared. “We also learned how to make organic manure, which I now produce and use on my farm. The training built my capacity and confidence to venture into other fruit markets. As a result, I have bought three more acres of land to grow passion fruit and pawpaw.”
NU-HortiMAP was active in eight districts of Uganda between 2022 and 2024, with funding from the Agricultural Business Initiative (aBi).
Fostering Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing
Joseph’s participation in the project improved both positively impacted his life and farming practices.
“The improvement I have seen on my farm and my colleagues’ farms has inspired me a lot,” Joseph shared. “Most importantly, I have benefited from the collaborations that TechnoServe has fostered among different stakeholders. The collaborations have encouraged peer learning among farmers, especially on innovative farming approaches and techniques.”
Joseph is encouraging collaboration among smallholder farmers in his district and beyond. For example, he has hosted learning visits for farmers from neighboring districts, including Gulu, Lira, and Nwoya. Joseph considers himself in a better position to deliver on his mandate as an agricultural officer and extension worker than before.
“My role in the project has helped to reach more farmers with the support they need,” he explained. In the future, Joseph hopes to develop part of his land into a farmers’ training center to bring his dream to life—equipping more farmers with innovative farming techniques and approaches.
“When you learn something and practice what you have learned, you are in a better position to help other people grow.”
As a critical agricultural stakeholder in Oyam district, Joseph understands the relationship between stakeholders’ capacity and communities’ engagement. Joseph’s story is an example of how building the capacity of key stakeholders with innovative farming techniques can inspire and improve collaboration.
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