Seated L-R; western regional winner, Joan Kantu, Vision Group chief executive officer, Don Wanyama, The Netherlands Ambassador to Uganda, Frederieke Quispel, Prime Minister emeritus, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda and wife Jocelyn, the chief retail banking officer at dfcu Bank, Annette Kiconco, the country manager KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Lukia Otema, the country manager Koudijs Nutrition BV, Stevens Guido. Standing; are other best farmers 2025 winners. This was during the award ceremony at Vision Group on Wednesday, December 10, 2025
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I For over ten years, dfcu Bank has played a pivotal role in transforming Uganda’s agricultural sector, using innovation, partnerships, and targeted farmer support to unlock productivity and profitability.
At the heart of this effort is the Best Farmers Awards initiative, a program that has evolved beyond recognition into a powerful engine for agricultural modernization and economic growth.
Launched in 2014 in partnership with Vision Group, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, and Koudijs Animal Nutrition, the Best Farmers Awards were designed to celebrate excellence in farming.
Over time, however, the initiative has grown into a comprehensive platform that equips farmers with knowledge, exposure, and resources to scale their enterprises. More than 130 farmers have been recognized for outstanding achievements in productivity, sustainability, record-keeping, and agribusiness management.
Global exposure
A defining feature of the initiative is its focus on learning and global exposure. Award winners benefit from study visits to the Netherlands, where they gain insights into advanced farming techniques, efficient value chains, and modern agribusiness practices. This exposure has helped Ugandan farmers rethink traditional methods and adopt more structured, commercially viable approaches to agriculture.
Beyond recognition, dfcu Bank has addressed one of the most persistent barriers in agriculture—access to finance. With support from Rabobank, the bank established Uganda’s first dedicated agribusiness unit under the dfcu Foundation. This unit was specifically created to close financing gaps, strengthen agricultural value chains, and provide tailored financial solutions to farmers. The broader ambition is to reach over 100,000 farmers with access to capital, markets, infrastructure, and technical expertise, positioning agriculture as a key driver of Uganda’s economic transformation.
Overcoming traditional agriculture
The real impact of this initiative is best illustrated through the journey of farmers like Zubairi Mukaaya, the founder of Bakuseka Majja Farm in Kamuli District. Raised in a farming family, Zubairi experienced firsthand the challenges of traditional agriculture, particularly low productivity due to poor soil fertility. Determined to do things differently, he began in 2007 with just 100 chickens under the NAADS programme.
Zubairi Mukaaya from Kamuli pausing with his certificate
Through discipline and reinvestment, his poultry enterprise steadily expanded to 1,000 birds within a few years. More importantly, he introduced an integrated farming model, using poultry waste as manure to restore soil fertility in his coffee fields. This not only improved yields but also stabilized his income, demonstrating the value of linking different farming activities.
Best Farmer for Eastern Uganda
Over time, Zubairi diversified into cassava, maize, and fish farming, creating a system where each enterprise supports the other. This integration reduced waste, minimized risks, and enhanced overall productivity. Today, his farm operates on a significant commercial scale, with close to 20,000 mudfish in ponds, 2,000 parent stock layers, and up to 20,000 broiler chickens at any given time. During peak seasons, he can supply as many as 40,000 chickens.
Zubairi’s influence extends beyond his farm. He has become a knowledge hub for farmers across Kamuli, Jinja, Kayunga, Buyende, and Buwenge, offering training through radio programs and on-farm demonstrations. Farmers frequently visit his operation for incubation services and practical guidance, reflecting a growing culture of peer learning that the Best Farmers initiative promotes.
His turning point came when he applied for the Best Farmers Awards in 2025 after learning about the program the previous year. Judges who visited his farm found a highly organized and modern enterprise, complete with structured record-keeping systems, advanced incubation facilities, and technology-supported fish farming. His efficiency and business-oriented approach earned him recognition as the Best Farmer for Eastern Uganda.
The award brought new momentum to his operations. He reinvested in expanding his poultry infrastructure, constructing a house with a capacity of 20,000 birds, financed through coffee earnings. Additional support from the awards, including Shs 7 million worth of farm feed, further boosted his production capacity.
Perhaps most significantly, his success is reshaping perceptions of agriculture within his family and community. By involving his children—an engineering graduate and a midwife—in the business, he is demonstrating that farming can be a modern, profitable, and sustainable career.
Structured agribusiness
Through initiatives like the Best Farmers Awards, dfcu Bank is not only supporting individual farmers but also driving a broader transformation in Uganda’s agricultural sector.
By shifting farming from subsistence to structured agribusiness, and by fostering innovation, knowledge-sharing, and access to finance, the bank is helping build a more resilient and commercially viable agricultural economy.
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