By Michael Odeng and Carol Kasujja Adii
Following the Harvest Money Expo that has been going on at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, service providers in the agricultural sector have been networking and strategising for their businesses so as to register growth. Speaking during the seventh edition of the expo on Friday, William Mwesigwa, the marketing coordinator of Engineering Solutions (ENGSOL), said their company’s sales have increased in terms of returns on investment due to the expo.
“We always get calls after the expo, with customers promising to buy our machinery and implements. We have been making profits ever since we joined the expo as sponsors and participants,” he revealed.
Mwesigwa said they are selling their machinery and farm implements at a 20% discount to their customers who visit their stall.
Stephen Bayite Kasule, the senior advisor for trade, investment and economic diplomacy at the Netherlands Embassy, said the expo provides an interactive platform for agro-processers, exporters, financers and policy makers to interact and share knowledge and skill. He expects stakeholders in the sector to benefit from the different activities that have been on display at the expo.
“The agricultural topics discussed from a training perspective, to equip farmers with skills and knowledge in agriculture are invaluable,” he said.
The 2023 expo is anchored on the theme Farming as a Business – Post-harvest Handling and Value Addition. The expo, which started on Friday is closing today, Sunday, February 12, 2023.
The well-organised expo has attracted more exhibitors and suppliers of agricultural inputs and equipment. Entrants are required to pay sh10,000 and another sh10,000 to attend training sessions. These are conducted by experts in different fields, including poultry, piggery, goat-keeping, bee-keeping, coffee growing and value addition, urban farming and fishing. During the event, people will benefit from the technologies and information provided by at least over 200 exhibitors.
The Harvest Money Expo, organised by Vision Group, is sponsored by the Kingdom of Netherlands, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), National Agriculture Advisory Services (NAADS), Pepsi, ENGSOL, RIELA/ UPFRONT, Agricultural Credit Facility (ACF), Uganda Warehouse Receipt System Authority (UWRSA), Champrisa International and State House.
