For Justine Edema Thomas, farming in Nyaliwara Village, Adjumani District, started as a small family venture.
His family cultivated about five acres, growing cabbages, tomatoes, rice and soya beans, alongside crops such as cassava and beans.
But limited access to farm machinery made it difficult to expand. That changed when Equity Bank Uganda financed the acquisition of a tractor.
With the tractor, Edema has expanded his farm to 15 acres and increased the amount of produce he can grow. He currently has 15 acres under cabbages and has also been able to acquire another farm equipment, including a sprayer. “I’ve been doing farming for some time, but it was on a small scale. The boost was more when Equity came in, in terms of giving us a tractor,” Edema says.
The increase in acreage has also created more work for people in the community. During one planting exercise, Edema says he brought in more than 100 people to help with planting and weeding. His income has grown with the farm. “At least my income per annum has doubled, and I must say that in certain seasons it is going almost triple,” he says.
The tractor has also become useful to other farmers in the area. Before Edema acquired it, farmers often had to wait until April or May for tractors to come from other districts. They also had to meet the extra cost of bringing the machines to their fields, including fuel for the journey.
Now, farmers can start ploughing as early as January and access the tractor at a lower cost. “As of now, we don’t charge farmers for the road fuel, so they get it a bit cheaper,” Edema says.
For Edema, the tractor has done more than increase the size of his farm. It has helped him employ more people, increase his earnings and provide a much-needed service to farmers around him. He says he hopes more support can reach farmers so they can invest in machinery and increase production.
“I am very grateful to Equity Bank for this support. This will keep on enhancing the capacity of farmers, including me, so that our community and the livelihood of people improve,” he says.
