NURI Farmer Market School Approach benefiting farmers in Kitgum District.
In July 2022, Deg bedo and Dak odee farmer groups from Mucwini East in Kitgum District were supported in Farmer Market School (FMS) under the NURI programme. The groups were trained in the 14 FMS sessions and the knowledge acquired facilitated them to collectively market sesame (simsim) in January 2023. Among the training sessions; market trips, negotiation skills, and value addition learned by the groups informed the collective marketing.
As a beneficiary of FMS trainings, Deg bedo farmer group initiated the process of identifying and negotiating with potential produce buyers after conducting their marketing trips. Upon identifying the produce buyers, they collaborated with 03 other groups, this was to ensure larger volume of produce to be achieved for better negotiation. The bulking of the produce attracted three different buyers namely; GADCO, KAWACOM and AGRI-EXIM Ltd.
Due to the competition from the produce companies, the groups went through series of negotiation and settled with GADCO who offered 5,100 Ugx. per kilogram earning a total of 107,176,500 Ugx. from sale of 21 metric tons of sesame. GADCO emerged as the buyer of the sesame as they offered to buy at 5,100 Ugx., AGRI- EXIM Ltd accepted 5,000 Ugx. and KAWACOM at 4,900 Ugx, per kilogram. The resident NURI extension officer played a crucial role by continuously updating the farmers about the prevailing market prices in order to influence the decision.
“Consequently, we collectively marketed 21 metric tons of sesame as we bulked together with other 02 NURI farmer groups from Mucwini West (Can Kwero Nga and Ribbe ber) and some community members in Ogwapoke Parish in Mucwini” said the chairperson of Deg bedo farmer group
As part of linkage development and good quality of sesame offered by these groups, GADCO promised to support the 4 groups with 2 tarpaulins each to motivate and facilitate post-harvest handling.
Away from the NURI farmer groups, there was a spillover effect to the community of Mucwini East in Ogwapoke parish who capitalized on the opportunity and bulked and sold 2,937kgs to GADCO at the same price of 5,100/= per kilo. At the time, the prevailing market price of sesame in Mucwini and surrounding markets was 4,800 Ugx. per kilogram.
“Collective marketing by groups made it easy for us to buy large volume of produce in a day which has not been easy to achieve in any other normal day and also not expensive in term of fuel and this a motivation to offer better prices to farmers” said the sales personnel from GADCO.
The farming community in Mucwini were appreciative to NURI for the support in addressing marketing challenges through the knowledge of FMS and collective marketing challenges. The NURI benefiting farmers recommended Farmer Market School support to other groups.
Thank you, NURI!!
Story credit: Resilience Agricultural Unit (RAU) Kitgum/Lamwo
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