Barley farmers were given sprayers
Nile Breweries has trained farmers in Kabale and Rubanda districts on financial literacy, in what is expected to spur the need for keeping tabs on their finances.
Under the theme, “Financial Empowerment of Farmers”, the training targeted more than 1,000 farmers with skills in bookkeeping, saving, and credit management, enabling them to manage and expand their businesses effectively.
“We rely entirely on our barley farmers. By empowering them financially, we aim to ensure their profitability and smart investment of proceeds,” Emmanuel Njuki, the head of Legal and Corporate Affairs at Nile Breweries Limited, said.
Nile Breweries uses locally-sourced barley, sorghum, maize and cassava in its brewing process. Presently, the brewer collaborates with 25,000 farmers, divided into groups of 15,000 for barley and 10,000 for sorghum, spread across North, East, South and Western Uganda, the company said in a statement.
Njuki highlighted that the brewery’s investment in local produce amounts to Shs 109.3 billion. Addressing a significant challenge faced by smallholder farmers, the training also aimed to enhance farmers’ access to credit facilities.
“The financial literacy training also targets increased access to credit facilities for farmers,” Bob Mutegeki, NBL’s agriculturist team leader for the South Western region, said.
Farmers currently access most of their credit through savings groups. The farmers also used the event to complain about the quality of the seed, which is impacted by changing weather patterns.
Njuki assured farmers of plans to introduce new seed varieties that are resilient to extreme weather conditions, ultimately enhancing yields.
Source: The Observer
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