EASTERN PROVINCE NYAGATARE — About 23 dairy farmers in Gatsibo district have under gone training on how to conserve cattle feeds during the dry spell. The four-day training was organised by Umutara Community Resources and Infrastructure Development Programme (UCRIDP) and implemented by the Umutara Polytechnic University. The training that closed last Friday in Nyagatare town, equipped participants with knowledge of conserving cattle feeds and Home based formulation of dairy concentrates. “We wrote the proposal and sent it to UCRIDP for funding, fortunately we got positive reply to sponsor all activities of this programme,” said Dr. Eugene Ndabaga, Umutara Polytechnic University vice- Rector. Ndabaga noted that the university’s target is to provide Eastern Province dairy farmers with different skills of farming that will help them to boost their trade. “This university is a provincial university and its main role is to change the local communities in the province,” Ndabaga said. According to Ndabaga, the university facilitated the workshop with tutors. He urged participants to use knowledge and skills they acquired to change their communities and the nation at large. Amos Kwesiga, one of the participants said that during the course they formed a cooperative society that will help them to put into practice the acquired skills. The cooperative, ‘Uruhungore Gatsibo’ Cooperative, will help them to cultivate exemplary farms for animal feeds in the district and to teach residents in their respective sectors how to make hays and urea treatment. The participants appealed to the university management to train them in applying methods of artificial insemination, arguing they have few artificial inseminators in the district who are even expensive to local residents. They also appealed to well wishers to sponsor their projects they intend to start. According to the members, they intend to set up demonstration fodder gardens, fodder storing and mixing fodders with concentrates. After the workshop, the participants were awarded with the certificates of merit. In a separate interview, Ndabaga revealed that the university will train all district dairy farmers from the province. “Gatsibo district is the second district to be covered after Nyagatare district which finished its training on July 25. We’re soon covering Kayonza district and other districts in this province,” Ndabaga said. Ends
