New threshers reduce sorghum post-harvest losses
CAPTION: Uganda Breweries Corporate Relations Director Sheila Sabune joins farmers in testing the new sorghum threshers. (Courtsey Photo).
By our reporter
LIRA – Sorghum farmers in the Lango sub-region have said that the use of Uganda Breweries threshers has helped them reduce post-harvest losses and improved sorghum productivity, and production.
They said this during their interaction with a team from Uganda Breweries in Lira East on 10th December 2024. In addition, they said threshers have reduced the turnaround time for threshing.
Tom Ongom, an elder and one of the founders of the Abur Lango Farmers Cooperative Society said that unlike manual hand beating against sorghum plants to get grains, the use of threshers has saved time spent in threshing.
“We are very grateful for the support from Uganda Breweries for donating the threshers to help in threshing sorghum because our main challenge was threshing; women were crying. After threshing for a long time, they said their bodies would be itching. They are now happy,” said Ongom, adding that, “And this year, if I am not mistaken, they will get money and produce more sorghum.”
In addition, Ongom said that Uganda Breweries has always assisted the farmers with high-quality seeds, and this has supported the production of sorghum. He called for more sensitization for the locals to embrace commercial agriculture to boost their household incomes and alleviate poverty.
“We have been having a challenge of timely distribution of seeds; I would like your team to address this issue.”
Uganda Breweries in July donated 5 threshers valued sh25 million to benefit 1,000 smallholder farmers across the country. This donation was aimed at improving the efficiency of farmers.
Isaac Oret, the Cooperative Society Coordinator explained that threshing using manual methods had become a challenge with some people complaining of back pain. However, with the thresher in place, threshing and cleaning of sorghum has been eased.
He explained that the Cooperative has built its name in sorghum planting. “We, however, requesting Uganda Breweries to keep the aggregators close to us, we need a local aggregator or somebody from us.”
Commenting about the partnership with Uganda Breweries, Oret said that they are now assured of a ready market for their sorghum and a good price, and this has boosted farmers’ income.
“Right now, you can’t compare the price of sorghum with maize. The price of maize is now at sh650, but for sorghum, the lowest price it can go is sh1,000. This is a good price and the market is ready,” he stated.
The finished product – sorghum seeds
The Uganda Breweries Corporate Relations Director Sheila Sabune said that the threshers donation is one of the ways to ensure quality grains produced by farmers.
“We work with farmers to get all the raw materials that we use to produce our products at UBL; beer and others. We try to be part of the value chain and empower the community. We do this because want to ensure that the quality we get is in the standard that we adhere to, and also that the consumer has the best quality, she stated.
In addition, Sabune said that Uganda Breweries donated threshers after it had received complaints from farmers that the manual beating of sorghum crops to get the grain was quite an arduous process that was discouraging people from growing.
“It was taking 2-3 days to thresh two or three bags per person. And now with this thresher, the turnaround time is actually 10 bags per hour without any strain to the mainly female community that is the one engaged in trying to beat down the crop to get the seed. “
Donation of threshers is part of Uganda Breweries’ broader commitment to supporting farmers under the program dubbed “Farm for Success” which seeks to address farming challenges related to the quality of inputs, and best agricultural practices.
Under this program, Uganda Breweries invests sh52b annually into farmer communities that supply raw materials used production process, benefiting 50,000 farmers in the value chain.
