Kampala — INNOVATIONS and value addition were showcased at the annual agricultural fair that ended in Jinja on July 22. The theme: "Agricultural Innovations for Better Incomes", was befitting. Exhibitors no longer simply display raw farm produce, they also bring other products of the produce, for example, juices from various fruits and flour from non-traditional flour foods like bananas.

They also exhibit simple technologies that can be adopted by farmers to make their work easier. However, most of them say that most of the things they bring are prototypes.

The problem is, most of these "amazing technologies and innovations" rarely reach the local farmer.

This is why the trend has to shift from simply exhibiting new technologies to ensuring these technologies are adopted by the farmers.

Some farmers at the show said their major setback is lack of funds.

"We do not have funds to add value at a larger scale," says Sarah Nakintu, who exhibited processed banana juice. At the moment, her product can be kept for at least three months.

When one talks about mechanisation of agriculture, most people think of tractors. However, the fair showcased many small but effective tools that can be used to improve farm work. For example, farmers from Bugisu exhibited an incubator that is capable of hatching 300 eggs. This small incubator can be a wonderful tool for hundreds of local poultry farmers countrywide. Indeed, local chicken keepers from Hoima and Nakasongola exhibited different ways of making local chicken continuously lay eggs. Some of the eggs are sold, while others have to be hatched. A home-made incubator comes in handy.

Many small but effective farm tools were exhibited. Hand-held tractors that are sold for as low as sh3m each, grass threshers for cattle keepers, cassava threshers, and hand-held vegetable oil machines can add a lot of value to the farm produce.

These are some of the things that can help farmers transform from subsistence to commercial farming, according to Mathew Mulumba of the Uganda National Farmers Federation. However, very few farmers have got them.

One of the largest industries is the beverages sector. At least 80% of all exhibitors had beverages. Through the years, groups such as Jakana and Cheers, both fruit processors, have gone a long way in showing the country how much one can benefit in juice processing.

However, according to smaller farmers, there are many hurdles.

"I lack capital to produce more," says Mariam Nalwanga, a wine maker. But overall, processing juice is more promising.

One field that has seen tremendous improvement is the Apiary. A walk in a medium-size supermarket shows blended honey from Bushenyi, Elgon, Arua, etc.

Honey processors say the biggest problem is maintaining quality. In fact, a close look at some of the honey on the market shows how poor the processing is. Again, producers point at a lack of funding.

Uganda, for example is reputed for producing good organic foods. However, a small percentage of these products find their way to the lucrative European market because of the poor standards at post-harvest level. For example, if one is to export sweet bananas, according to European standards, they should not have any scratches or black spots when they ripen.

While opening the fair, President Yoweri Museveni argued researchers to simplifly their research work for the local farmer to understand it.

The fair showed that agricultural innovations by, among others, NARO have slowly but surely reached the grassroot farmer.

Most of the foods exhibited had passed through NARO or any other Ugandan research institute.

Bananas, most of which came from NARO centres, were, as usual, in plenty at the fair. However, the challenge is that farmers complain that some of the huge bunches are not good for direct consumption. During bumper harvests, especially between May and August, prices at the farm drop by more than half. "We cannot save bananas because they are heavily perishable," says Nathan Byamugisha, a farmer from Bushenyi. This is why value addition must be emphasised.

This, therefore, calls for innovations that can help banana farmers to conserve their produce. The Presidential Initiative on Bananas is a step in the right direction. The only problem is that it is yet to spread throughout the banana growing regions.

Florence Muranga started producing flour out of bananas. The quality of this flour is so high that it is exported to European countries, including Germany, but very few farmers are aware of this initiative.