Poultry farming is emerging as a reliable pathway out of unemployment for young people in Uganda’s Busoga sub-region, with several youth groups reporting steady daily incomes under a targeted agribusiness support programme.
The transformation is being driven by the Stimulating Agribusiness for Youth Employment (SAYE) project, a Shs2 billion initiative designed to equip young people with practical skills and affordable financing to engage in sustainable agriculture. The project offers loans at a subsidized interest rate of 1.8 percent, enabling youth groups to invest in income-generating enterprises such as poultry farming, horticulture and passion fruit growing.
In Buwera West, Kagoma Town Council, Jinja District, 32-year-old Nicholas Bamutaze is among the beneficiaries whose fortunes have significantly improved. After undergoing training facilitated by Heifer International and its partner organisations, Bamutaze mobilised fellow youth to form the Buwera Youth Striving Group in 2024.
With technical support and initial inputs provided under the SAYE project, the group constructed a poultry house and received 600 chicks, along with feed support up to the laying stage, widely considered the most expensive phase of poultry production.
“Heifer International trained us in poultry farming, and because I had a passion for it, I mobilised fellow youths. We built this poultry house and started with 600 birds, which SAYE supported with feeds up to the laying stage,” Bamutaze said.
Despite losing part of their flock and remaining with 320 birds, the group has established a viable enterprise. They now collect more than 200 eggs daily, generating a steady source of income.
“We collect about seven trays of eggs every day and sell each tray at Shs11,000, earning around Shs77,000. After deducting feeding costs, we remain with about Shs30,000 per day, which is good money for us in a rural setting,” he said.
Bamutaze described the feeding support as a "game changer," noting that feed costs often present the biggest challenge for small-scale poultry farmers.
Across Busoga, similar success stories are emerging. Youth groups such as Budhumbuli Development Association in Buwenge, Bwase Zone Youth Group, and Idoome Youth Group have also ventured into poultry farming with support from the SAYE project. Many members, who were previously unemployed, now earn regular incomes after accessing affordable loans through partner Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (SACCOs), including Nakanyonyi SACCO.
The initiative has also prioritised inclusion by supporting vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities. One beneficiary, Ritah Nandhego from Buwera West, has combined poultry farming with her hairdressing business to support her family and pay school fees for her two children.
Project implementers say the intervention is not only improving household incomes but also strengthening community financial systems.
“We are addressing unemployment by empowering youth to engage in agriculture. Busoga was prioritised because of its high unemployment levels, and we have placed funds in various SACCOs to ensure accessibility,” said Ronald Musisi, Technical Team Leader of the SAYE Credit Fund.
Catherine Namulondo, General Manager of Nakanyonyi SACCO, said the initiative has boosted both SACCO membership and youth participation in commercial agriculture.
“Many youth have formed groups and approached us for financing. We have so far received more than Shs100 million, which has already been disbursed to different youth groups in and around Jinja,” she said.
“The project has also enabled us to grow as a SACCO and adopt digital tools for better service delivery.”
Beneficiaries are now calling for the expansion of the programme to more districts across Eastern Uganda, arguing that it has the potential to significantly reduce youth unemployment if implemented on a larger scale.
As poultry farming continues to demonstrate its profitability, the SAYE project is positioning agriculture not merely as a subsistence activity but as a viable business capable of creating jobs, generating sustainable incomes and transforming livelihoods across rural communities.
