By Ben Musanje
The once drought-prone farming community of Toroma Sub- County in Katakwi District is celebrating a remarkable agricultural revival thanks to the Agule Solar-Powered Irrigation Scheme, a Museveni government-backed project that has turned smallholder farmers into commercial producers.
Speaking during a monitoring visit by officials from the Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE) and partners, Stephen Olinga, a member of the Agricultural Management Committee for the Agule scheme, recounted the community’s transformation from subsistence farming to high-value crop production.
“We used to depend entirely on seasonal rains and grow only groundnuts, sorghum, and simsim,” Olinga said. “But since the irrigation project started in 2024, we’ve learned to cultivate tomatoes, onions and green pepper crops that bring real income.”
A New Dawn for Agule Farmers
Implemented through the Ministry of Water and Environment in partnership with Nexus Green, the project introduced solar-powered irrigation systems that enable year-round farming on 12 acres of land, with about 10 acres currently under active cultivation.
Construction began in January 2024 at a cost of €124,362, and the project was officially launched by the Vice President, Maj. (Rtd) Jessica Alupo, who is also the area Woman MP.
A total of 48 farmers, including 25 women and 23 men, have been trained in modern irrigation and agronomic practices, under this very transformative intervention.
Many farmers have since been impacted and are now reporting dramatic increases in productivity and income.
As a group, Agule Solar-powered Irrigation scheme farming community earned Shs30m in the first season of 2024 and this year’s first season, they were able to earn Shs25m from the selling of their onions and tomatoes produces.
One farmer said they earned up to UGX 12 million per acre from tomato sales, a stark contrast to the meagre yields from rain-fed farming, which preceded the irrigation scheme intervention.
“From one sack of grain during the rainy season to three million shillings in tomatoes from a quarter acre, it’s a big change,” Olinga said proudly. “Our families are healthier; our children are in school and we can plan for the future with clear certainty.”
Several other farmers shared stories of progress from building better homes to buying livestock.
Susan Amutose, one of the beneficiaries, says she was able to pay her son’s secondary school fees using profits from the enhanced tomato production and sales.
Challenges in a Growing Sector
Despite the success, farmers still face obstacles such as poor road access and lack of storage facilities, which limit market opportunities and cause post-harvest losses, especially for perishable crops.
“We lose a lot because transporters fear the bad roads,” Olinga explained. “We also need proper storage facilities to preserve our produce and maintain quality before selling.”
Farmers like Vicky Apolot and Margaret Achan also cited the storage challenge, noting that while they can now afford school fees from onion and tomato sales, inadequate storage facilities threaten their gains.
They appealed for continued government and private-sector support to improve rural infrastructure, storage and quicker access to markets.
Farmers also requested for additional solar panels and training equipment to enhance maintenance and water management.
Technical Backbone of the Project
Yusuf Mutebi, the project engineer, explained how the solar-powered system operates. The setup comprises four key components: a pump control unit, water intake point, reservoir tanks and irrigation network.
“Water is drawn from the intake point using a submersible pump powered by solar energy,” Mutebi said. “The system runs on 36 solar panels, each generating 475 watts. The water is stored in four 10,000-liter tanks yielding a total capacity of 40,000 liters before being distributed to the gardens.”
He added that the system pumps 20 cubic meters of water per hour and operates for about eight hours daily, delivering roughly 160 cubic meters of water to the farming fields.
An irrigation schedule ensures efficient water use, with farmers working in groups and managing water through controlled valves.
The system is designed for deficit irrigation, which optimizes water usage while maintaining productivity.
The project, jointly funded by the Government of Uganda and UK Export Finance, cost approximately €218,661.
Sustainable Change and Community Impact: Albert Ekor, the Vice Chairperson of Agule Village, said the project has transformed the community from chronic hunger to self-sufficiency.
“Families can now pay school fees, afford medical bills and have meals on time,” he said. “But the poor road network remains a major challenge because some farmers don’t even have bicycles to transport their produce to the nearby market [in the Katakwi township].”
Despite these hurdles, residents expressed deep gratitude to the Government of Uganda, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Vice President Jessica Alupo and partners such as Nexus Green for supporting rural transformation through clean energy and sustainable agriculture.
“This project has restored hope,” Olinga asserted. “We are feeding our families, educating our children and building better lives, all because of the power of the sun.” (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
