For the tenth year running, Vision Group, together with the Embassy of the Netherlands, KLM Airlines, dfcu Bank and Koudijs Animal Nutrition, is running the Best Farmers Competition.
The 2025 competition runs from April to November, with the awards in December.
Every week, Vision Group platforms will publish profiles of the farmers. Winners will walk away with sh150m and a fully paid-for trip to the Netherlands.
Jane Nayigaga Naluwayiro, a 54-year-old farmer and entrepreneur in Ndeeba village, Kayunga district, is a shining example of resilience and innovation.
Her journey from tailoring to agribusiness has not only transformed her life, but also empowered other farmers in her community.
Entry into farming
Nayigaga’s dream was to become a tailor and was set to establish a business in Kayunga town.
On the side, the elderly women in her neighbourhood entrusted her with writing a proposal for government funding in agriculture.
The proposal caught the attention of donors from the UK, that is, Adam Burut and his wife, Cate Sebag, opening doors for a pineapple farming project.
The couple, amazed by the taste of Ugandan pineapples, pledged to help develop the group’s initiative while exploring the possibility of exporting the crop.
Three months later, Burut returned and facilitated Nayigaga’s training at Kawanda Research Centre in Wakiso district.
She attended a three-month course on quality control and export standards.
Recognising the opportunity in growing pineapples, Nayigaga quit tailoring. In 1994, she started mobilising others to grow pineapples.
She began with six women. Their fi rst produce was 10kg and the buyer was Burut.
As production and demand grew, Burut helped the women set up storage facilities in Kampala, first in Mengo then on William Street in Kampala.
This led to the establishment of the Fruits of the Nile Company in 1994, focused on drying and exporting pineapples.
By 1997, the business had expanded and relocated to Najjanankumbi, Kampala and was there for over fi ve years.
Business growth
Nayigaga has worked with mostly elderly women and is committed to continuing to grow the business.
Her husband was very supportive, and in 1996, they jointly invested in an acre in Luwero district, a major step towards expanding their pineapple farming project.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, Fruits of the Nile suffered a significant loss.
This setback caused Nayigaga and her team to seek other partnerships. They began working with companies like Jakana and Agri-cycle.
The company diversified to include dried jackfruit and mangoes.
She has ensured a steady supply of quality dried pineapples to markets in the UK and beyond.
Patience pays initiative
Nayigaga understands that success in agribusiness depends on working with skilled and determined farmers.
Thus, over the years, Nayigaga, through the Patience Pays Initiative, has trained over 80 farmers in pineapple farming, empowering them in the best practices for growing, drying and processing pineapples for export.
“Patience Pays stands out because it works directly with farmers who own pineapple gardens, ensuring a consistent supply of fresh fruits for processing,” she says.
In addition, Nayigaga ensures farmers benefit from stable prices while consumers receive high-quality, organic dried fruits.
Best practices
Nayigaga employs traditional sun-drying methods using racks made out of steel frames, wooden supports and mesh surfaces.
The fruits are carefully sliced and evenly spread out on the racks to dry naturally under the sun.
This technique effectively lengthens the produce’s shelf life to over five months without any artificial preservatives, perfect for export markets that demand chemical-free products.
The dried fruit is packed in airtight, eco-friendly packaging that includes biodegradable pouches or recyclable containers.
By adding value through drying and proper packaging, Nayigaga increases the fruits’ shelf life, enhances their appearance, ensures hygiene and meets export standards.
To keep the farm afloat, Nayigaga follows best management practices such as proper recordkeeping, timely harvesting, regular staff training, crop rotation, maintaining hygiene, monitoring market trends, ensuring quality control and reinvesting profits.
Security
Nayigaga ensures physical and biosecurity by fencing off her drying facilities, preventing unauthorised access and enforcing cleanliness.
She also trains workers on hygiene practices to prevent contamination and pest infestations.
Achievements and successes
Over the past three decades, Nayigaga proudly reflects on her achievements, especially her role in transforming lives through agricultural empowerment.
One of her most notable accomplishments is training over 200 farmers in Kayunga district, particularly women and youth, in pineapple drying and value addition techniques.
She has built an active network of farmers who look up to her as a mentor, making her agribusiness a model of sustainable rural development and women’s empowerment.
Nayigaga has also established reliable market links, creating a steady demand for dried pineapples both locally and internationally.
A key turning point was in 2012 when she received a grant under the Local Economic Development Programme that she used to construct modern drying facilities.
However, she still faces challenges during rainy seasons, as sun-drying becomes slow. Among her proudest milestones is building a reputable name in Uganda’s agribusiness space.
Her dedication earned her the prestigious New Vision Woman Achiever Award in 2008.
This recognition not only boosted her credibility, but also opened new doors for business and partnerships.
Through this trust and recognition, she has grown her exports to an average of one to two tonnes of dried pineapples.
She has supported over 10 orphans through her business, providing them with education and a stable livelihood.
Nayigaga’s business is a family effort. Her children, all graduates, understand the value of their parents’ work and actively contribute to the enterprise.
Challenges faced
One of the biggest issues is weather vagaries. During the rainy season, it becomes difficult to sun-dry pineapples effectively, delaying production and reducing the quality of the end product.
She has considered investing in solar dryers, but the high cost remains a barrier.
Pests, especially termites, attack the wooden drying racks.
Financial constraints also pose a challenge. Many buyers, especially export clients, delay payments, disrupting her cash flow.
This makes it difficult to pay farmers on time and expand the business.
Market access became a major challenge after the decline of Fruits of the Nile around 2020.
The company, once a key pineapple buyer, reduced operations, disrupting supply chains.
Since then, Nayigaga has struggled to find reliable bulk buyers.
Earnings, expenses
Nayigaga earns sh4m-sh5m monthly, with peak earnings during dry seasons when drying is faster.
She has six workers — two men and four women — each earning sh250,000–sh300,000 monthly, depending on their tasks.
Major expenses include wages, packaging, transport, equipment maintenance and farm inputs like fertilisers and tools.
Other expenditures include utilities like water bills. Sometimes her expenses cover training sessions, quality control measures, market logistics and occasional consultant fees.
During rainy seasons, storage and delayed drying also increase operational costs.
Plans
Nayigaga envisions a future where her business expands beyond dried fruits.
She plans to establish a juice and wine processing plant to help reduce losses and increase market reach.
She is committed to expanding her training programmes, focusing on empowering more women and youth with value addition and agribusiness skills.
Her appeal
Nayigaga stresses the need for government intervention to support young and potential farmers by creating learning opportunities from successful farmers.
She calls for seminars, conferences and farm visits to inspire and educate upcoming farmers.
Nayigaga urges the Government to subsidise irrigation equipment.
She says the agriculture ministry also plays a role in assisting farmers with irrigation systems, tractors and genuine fertilisers to combat counterfeits.
Nayigaga also stresses the need for improved market access and quality seedlings to boost productivity, ensuring that farmers can thrive.
LEAD PHOTO CATION: Nayigaga places pineapple slices for drying on a rack.
