The students are majoring in Agricultural Science and Engineering at MUARIK and have decided to impart skills in agricultural engineering innovations and feed processing to pupils in primary schools up to universities students so as to create an agriculture-tolerant generation.
Prof Noble Banadda from Makerere University College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences told a delegation from the Belgian Embassy in Uganda that currently all students pursuing certificates, diplomas and degree courses related to agriculture in various institutions including Makerere have started receiving training.
“This initiative is to ensure that our students are up-to-date with innovations in Bio-science agricultural engineering,” Prof Banadda said.
Over 2,000 students are trained every month in the field of animal management on farms, processing chicken and animal feed using different ingredients, disease management and agronomy of crops such as the East African Highland Banana (matooke) against banana weevils and bacterial wilt, among others.
“We are trying to ensure that our students know what it takes for scientists to develop and innovate a new tractor. Therefore, skilling them in mechanisation, irrigation management, maintenance of agricultural machinery and fabrication of food processing equipment is an added advantage,” he said.