The Senior Presidential Advisor on Agribusiness and Value Addition, Dr. Hillary Emmanuel Musoke Kisanja, has launched the SENTFARM Agribusiness Hub “Awaka”, a model demonstration farm in Ssebobo Village, Mityana District, as part of efforts to promote commercial agriculture and household wealth creation.
Speaking during the launch, Dr. Kisanja said the demonstration farm aligns with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s Four-Acre Model initiative, which seeks to transform smallholder farmers into profitable commercial producers through modern and sustainable agricultural practices.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to promoting modern farming methods, increasing household incomes and accelerating socio-economic transformation through agriculture.
Owned by Robert Ssentamu and his wife, Racheal Birabwa Ssentamu, the demonstration farm showcases practical and affordable farming technologies, including mature coffee plantations, banana gardens and coffee seedlings irrigated using recycled plastic bottles — a water conservation technique first demonstrated by President Museveni at his Kawumu demonstration farm.
Dr. Kisanja encouraged farmers to embrace the four-acre model as a business-oriented approach capable of generating sustainable income even on small pieces of land.
Under the model, he explained, farmers are encouraged to dedicate one acre to food crops, another to fruits, a third to high-value enterprises such as dairy farming, poultry, piggery or fish farming, while the remaining acre is reserved for pasture production.
He added that farmers with less than four acres can also adapt the model to maximise productivity and improve household incomes.
“Many people have practised farming for years without escaping poverty because they have not treated it as a business. The President introduced the four-acre model to help Ugandans maximise productivity and earn income throughout the year,” Dr. Kisanja said.
The farm owners commended President Museveni for promoting agriculture as a pathway to wealth creation, saying the initiative inspired them to transition from operating a hardware business in Kampala’s Nakasero Market to commercial farming following economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the couple highlighted challenges including water scarcity and limited access to agricultural extension services, appealing for increased investment in irrigation infrastructure, mechanisation and farmer support services.
In response, Dr. Kisanja acknowledged the challenges and pledged to work with district leaders to strengthen the demonstration farm and develop it into a centre of excellence where other Four-Acre Model farmers can acquire practical knowledge and skills.
He also urged farmers to organise themselves into groups to improve their access to government programmes, noting that organised farmer associations are better positioned to benefit from agricultural support services.
Dr. Kisanja further encouraged Ugandans to take advantage of the country’s fertile soils and natural resources, describing agriculture as a key driver of household wealth creation and national economic transformation.
He called on farmers to preserve indigenous seed varieties while embracing modern farming technologies, improved seedlings, organic fertilisers and better post-harvest handling practices to enhance productivity and competitiveness.
The launch attracted local leaders, farmers and development partners, including African-American Pan-Africanist Queen Nina Womack from Los Angeles, California, who is visiting Uganda under an agro-tourism programme.
Womack praised Uganda’s agricultural potential and encouraged stronger partnerships between Africa and the African diaspora to unlock investment opportunities in agribusiness and value addition.
Dr. Kisanja called upon African Americans and other international investors to explore Uganda’s agricultural opportunities, particularly in irrigation, agricultural technology, value addition and modern storage facilities, noting that government remains committed to supporting genuine investors.
The launch of the SENTFARM Agribusiness Hub marks another milestone in advancing President Museveni’s vision of commercial agriculture by demonstrating practical farming solutions aimed at increasing productivity, improving household incomes and contributing to Uganda’s socio-economic transformation.
