By Mike Rwothomio 

The Uganda Agribusiness Alliance (UAA) has launched a three-day refresher training in Paidha, Zombo District, bringing together eighteen (18) farmers and 6 Community Based Trainers (CBTs) from six Micro Stations across Arua, Nebbi, and Zombo Districts.

The training, being held at Daudi Courts in Paidha Town Council from November 19-23rd, 2025, provides a foundation of the closeout and sustainability activities of a five-year project under the onion value chain development implemented in the West Nile sub-region.

Day One of the training has opened with practical sessions aimed at strengthening farmers’ skills in onion and garlic agronomy, climate-smart agricultural practices, post-harvest handling, value addition, business development, and financial management.

These components form the core of the ongoing effort to equip smallholder farmers with the knowledge and capacity needed to produce high-quality onions for competitive markets.

Speaking at the opening session, Kukunda Medias, Consultant Agronomist with the Uganda Agribusiness Alliance, welcomed the farmers and underscored the significance of the training as the project enters its final phase.

"This refresher training is designed to reinforce the knowledge and practical skills farmers have gained over the last five years,” she said, adding, “Our focus over these three days is to ensure that farmers continue to improve productivity, adopt climate-smart practices, build their capacity in value addition and effectively position their onions for wider market opportunities at national, regional and global level.”

Kukunda also urged farmers to frequently consult each other for the extension of more knowledge and increased production.

Farmers actively participated as knowledgeable facilitators on onion farming pumped them with extensive knowledge that will help them blossom the lucrative onion production in future.

Meanwhile Moses Openjmungu, an Agricultural Officer for Zombo town council, noted the timely coming in of project, highlighting that the area is facing challenges in horticultural production.

Openjmungu challenged farmers to ensure the project impact their lives, calling for "sustainability and application of value addition and prevention of post harvest losses", equally rallying for shared knowledge and consultation amongst farmers to circumvent avoidable agricultural losses.

The training initiative forms part of the broader “Power of Voices Project” (PvP), started in 2020 and due to end in December 2025, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs through Oxfam and implemented by UAA in partnership with the Agency for Community Empowerment (AFCE), SEATINI Uganda, ESAFF Uganda, and CSBAG Uganda.

Since its inception, the project has strengthened and built capacity of 1,388 (665 female, 723 male) farmers under the onion value chain through advocacy activities, trainings on global GAP, seed support and exchange and learning visits to seasoned onion farmers in the West Nile region.

They have also been supported to enhance their access to market, and adopt better agronomic, postharvest handling, financial and business management practices.

The objectives of the training under the "Power of Voices project" (PvP) is to strengthen farmers and Community based trainers capacity in post harvest handling on garlic and Onion, build capacity of farmers in onion and garlic production on agronomic practices, enhance knowledge on value addition, financial and business management, prepare farmers and partners for project closure and sustainability of interventions, promote adoption of best practices to improve incomes, reduce losses and enhance competitions.

As activities continue over the next two days, farmers will be trained and enhanced on their production skill for the garlic value chain and continue to build their capacity on business development discussions, and financial management sessions designed to strengthen their ability to operate profitable and sustainable minority enterprises in the region.

Many participants expressed optimism about applying the new skills to improve their production and access better markets.

Uganda is a low-income country with a predominantly agrarian economy.Since Agriculture remains the backbone of national development, employing over 70 per cent of the population, the majority of whom reside in rural areas, the Uganda Agribusiness Alliance reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to supporting farmers beyond the life of the project, noting that the gains made over the last five years provide a strong foundation for continued growth in the onion sector across the West Nile region.

Farmers, facilitators and community based trainers posed for a photo on day one of the refresher training at Daudi Courts Hotel in Paidha town council, Zombo District.

Mike Rwothomio is news editor at zoomer Africa, your number one grassroot information hub.