How many smallholder farmers will be able to grow soybeans in Uganda?
In Uganda, the project has so far signed partnership agreements with eleven SMEs working in the soybean and sesame value chains with a potential to reach 90,000 smallholder farmers.
Who is okeba Uganda Limited?
Okeba Uganda Limited is one of the partners working in the soybean value chain in the districts of Mubende, Kakumiro, Kyegegwa and Kyenjojo. The company met resistance from farmers when they first tried to introduce soybean as a climate-resilient crop. Most of the farmers cited production challenges and lack of a sustainable market.
How much soybeans did okeba farmers harvest?
Despite the drought and late planting, Okeba’s farmers harvested an average of 412kgs of soybean per acre, most of which was bought by Okeba. Okeba injected a total of UGX507,880,000 (USD137,451) into the community in just a single season from purchasing the farmers’ soybean harvest.
Who resisted okeba’s proposal to grow soybean?
Zainab a host farmer in Kyenjojo district was one of the farmers who resisted Okeba’s proposal to grow soybean. “My parents used to grow soybean using local ordinary seed when I was young. The soybean would take about six months to mature.
How many hectares of soybeans were harvested in 2020?
By the end of August 2020, the 4,100 farmers had harvested 1,449,610kgs (1,450 tonnes) of soybean from a total acreage of 2,458 acres despite planting late in the season compared to their previous yield of 1,040 tonnes.
How long does a soybean take to mature?
The soybean would take about six months to mature. When the soybean matured, the pods would burst and split open, scattering the grain all over the garden. This was worsened by the limited numbers of buyers available. As a result, my parents often failed to sell their beans.