Renewed Confidence in Potato Farming
Justine and her husband have six sons and one daughter. Justine depends on farming to support her household and pay her kids’ school fees.
She recalls a time not too long ago when she spent $59 on a sack of seed potatoes for her 40 x 60 meter plot. “I planted Irish potatoes without manure, and they all dried. I harvested nothing,” said Justine. This experience discouraged her from continuing Irish potato production.
That is, until she was able to attend training offered by local partner Pentecostal Assemblies of God Kigezi Ankole Pastorate (PAG-KAP). There she learned the importance of soil fertility management.
Putting this new knowledge into practice, she planted Irish potatoes again, this time using compost manure at planting and spraying with liquid manure to control pests. She planted just 130 seed potatoes on the same plot of land. This time, she was happy to have a good harvest of 600 kilograms, including small and big potatoes.
From the harvest, Justine sold three sacks at for $105 each, which helped her pay for her children’s school fees. She kept one sack for her family to eat and two to save as seed for the next planting season.
“Using compost manure and liquid manure made a big difference. I was able to sell, eat with my family, and save seed,” she explained. Because of this success, Justine has regained confidence in Irish potato farming. “I had stopped growing Irish potatoes, but because of these results, I am encouraged to continue growing Irish potatoes again,” she said.
Uganda Rubanda is led by World Renew and local partner Pentecostal Assemblies of God Kigezi Ankole Pastorate