By David Mwanje
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has once again thrown his weight behind the transformative 4-Acre Model, a smallholder farming strategy designed to uplift rural livelihoods, during a vibrant commissioning ceremony of Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja’s model and skilling farm in Kakumiro District. The farm, established with technical expertise from the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), stands as a beacon of agricultural innovation, showcasing how small-scale farmers can achieve food security and economic prosperity on just four acres of land.
The 4-Acre Model, a cornerstone of President Museveni’s vision for Uganda’s agricultural revolution, encourages farmers to diversify their enterprises by integrating food crops, cash crops, livestock, and poultry. Speaking at the event, Museveni emphasized its potential to eradicate poverty. “The 4-Acre Model is not just a farming technique; it is a pathway to wealth creation,” he said, echoing his 2023 address at the National Agricultural Show in Jinja. “By dividing four acres into food crops, cash crops, pasture for livestock, and poultry, a farmer can feed their family and earn a steady income. This is the future of Uganda’s agriculture.”
The Prime Minister’s farm exemplifies this vision. Spanning four acres, it integrates high-value enterprises such as onions, bananas, poultry, vegetables, pasture, dairy cows, piggery, and coffee. A standout feature is the mother garden for NARO’s improved KR coffee varieties (KR1 to KR10), which serves as both a training hub and a source of high-quality planting materials for local farmers. The farm’s banana plantation, established in August 2024, is already yielding impressive results, with over 80% of the plants in the fruiting stage. Additionally, the farm produces 150 liters of milk daily, sold at UGX 1,500 per liter, and 266 trays of eggs, each fetching UGX 10,000.
Prime Minister Nabbanja, beaming with pride, credited NARO’s technical guidance for the farm’s success. “This farm is a demonstration that with the right support, every Ugandan can benefit from agriculture,” she said. “I thank NARO for walking this journey with me and helping turn this vision into reality. It is a true example of leadership by doing.” Her words resonated with the gathered farmers, who see the farm as a practical blueprint for replicating the 4-Acre Model in their communities.
NARO’s Director General, Dr. Yona Baguma, highlighted the organization’s role in advancing science-led agriculture. “NARO has developed improved, high-yielding, resilient coffee varieties, specifically KR1 to KR10,” he said. “We have also pioneered technologies for rapid multiplication of these varieties to ensure accessibility.” Beyond coffee, NARO’s contributions include improved banana varieties and intensive dairy management systems, which are integral to the farm’s operations. “This model farm answers the President’s call for practical demonstrations of the 4-Acre Model to ensure both food and economic security,” Dr. Baguma added.
In his address, President Museveni reiterated the model’s simplicity and effectiveness, a message he has consistently championed since introducing it in his 2018 State of the Nation Address. “A farmer with four acres can dedicate one acre to food crops like maize or beans, one to cash crops like coffee, one to pasture for dairy, and one to poultry or piggery,” he explained. “This ensures a family eats well and earns enough to pay school fees, build a house, and save.” He urged farmers to embrace modern techniques and work closely with NARO to access improved seeds and livestock breeds.
The Minister for Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries, Frank Tumwebaze, praised the government’s commitment to agricultural research and NARO’s efforts in establishing demonstration farms and skilling centers nationwide. “This farm is a testament to what we can achieve when science and policy align,” he said.
The commissioning of Nabbanja’s farm underscores Uganda’s push to transform agriculture into a driver of economic growth. As President Museveni toured the lush banana fields and inspected the thriving dairy and poultry units, he called on Ugandans to adopt the 4-Acre Model. “This is not a dream; it is a reality you can see here today,” he said. “Let us all work smart, farm smart, and prosper together.”
With its tangible results and replicable framework, the Prime Minister’s farm is poised to inspire a new generation of Ugandan farmers, proving that small plots can yield big dreams.
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