Agricultural Expertise Sought for Newly Acquired BiZoHa Farmland

The BIZOHA Campus of Kasese Humanist Primary School (KHPS) has acquired new farmland in the irrigation zone of Muhokya, Uganda commonly known by locals as Rutoke. The land is spacious, with fertile alluvial soils, well connected by a road and located on the banks of River Muhokya. Planting crops in this area does not require one to time the season and changing weather pattern.

Founding Director Bwambale Robert Musubaho initiated the land purchase some months ago in installments from the former owner. This month the balance was finally cleared off with funds realized from the sale of a car. 

The land is located some few meters from the site of the BIZOHA Humanist Orphanage. Bwambale's intention is to seek advice and assistance from agricultural experts to find the best approach to making this land cultivable all year round. This farmland has the potential to provide food crops throughout the year as its well connected to the Muhokya Irrigation Project. He is already a subscriber to the irrigation group having paid the one-time membership fees.

Farmers in this area normally have water channels connected to their land, where their gardens must have ridges. The water is channeled through these ridges and spread through the farmland three times per week.

The location of BIZOHA farm puts it at a better advantage to access water at any time needed since we are located next to the Muhokya River. One plan is to put some houses on this farmland so that intensive farming is practiced. Presently we have got three farm workers who manage it namely Mutwaro, Rogers and a semi skilled farm manager called Bagambe. The land right now has beans which we have started to harvest, bananas some about 2 – 3 months to start harvesting, some tomatoes, cabbages, plantains and an array of sweet potatoes.

We would like to ensure the farm will become self reliant at some point, with optimism that this farmland will supply crops to feed our school children at both the Rukoki and BIZOHA Campus of KHPS. It will also allow us to sell produce at the Andrea Vogt Roadside Stand, a venue where locals and road passersby can stop and purchase foodstuffs to benefit the BIZOHA school, orphanage and the Andrea Voght Health Clinic on site.

With more intensive farming we could potentially sell to the ready market for food crop to feed Kasese Town and some nearby towns like Muhokya, Kahendero, Kikorongo and Bwera.

Bwambale is hereby calling upon the international community especially agronomists, horticulturists or volunteers with skills in modern farming to offer advise and/or assistance in making the farmland most efficiently productive. 

Currently the orphan students housed at BIZOHA are among the beneficiaries of the crops grown at this farmland, as they are now eating the fresh beans, tomatoes and plantains currently present at this farm.

With Science, we can progress.