Kayanja, who is the founder and senior pastor of Miracle Centre Ministries in Rubaga, said the Harvest Money Expo is a must-attend. Kayanja made the remarks during a guided tour of his 640-acre Gold Medal farm in Kiryandogo district The 2020 Harvest Money Expo will run on February 14- 16.
The entrance fee will be sh10,000 per day for those interested in the exhibition, while those who want to attend the training and visit the stalls will be charged sh20,000 per day.
Modern farm
On the farm, which covers 400 of the 640 acres, Kayanja keeps cattle (beef, milk and Ankole breeds), goats and sheep. He also grows maize for both silage and flour, over 10 acres of bananas as well as two acres of sugarcanes, mangoes, passion fruits, and guavas. The farm employs over 100 workers, most of whom are former street kids and rehabilitated city thugs aka Kifeesi.
Mechanisation
Pastor Kayanja has a variety of machinery, including two heavy-duty Massey Ferguson tractors, chaff cutters, hammer mills and grass choppers for cutting forage. On top of a fixed spray race for cattle, there are several other mobile spray races on the farm.
“I saw these at the 2017 expo. I bought them and they have proved to be an asset,” Kayanja says. To ensure a steady supply of water, he dug several large water dams. These are supported by water pumps, which push water to various sections of the farm.
Farming curbs unemployment
Kayanja said the best way to reduce unemployment is to engage everybody in agriculture. He said there are many people with billions of shillings in the city who could create jobs if they invested in agriculture as opposed to building houses to let Kayanja said for those yet to make a decision, visiting the expo will provide them with options.
“I went there and met people who have since helped me to mechanise and acquire modern equipment for my farm. For example, I saw a simpler cattle spray race at the expo and I have since acquired it for my farm,” Kayanja said.