APAC – Twenty years after establishing Agali Mixed Farm, former Tourism Minister Jovino Akaki Ayumu has transformed his 400-acre property into a community learning hub, teaching locals modern farming techniques while encouraging savings and fighting the destructive trend of land sales.
Akaki, a former Member of Parliament for Maruzi County (1996–2006) and a prominent National Resistance Movement (NRM) figure, said the farm was created with two clear goals: to increase household income and to pass on practical agricultural skills to the community.
Speaking at the farm in Agali Village, Ayago Parish, Apoi Sub-county, Apac District, Akaki explained that locals previously relied on digging gardens for small, one-off payments—often exhausting their earnings without any long-term security.
"When I started the Agali-Ayago cooperative, people began saving money. Now they are doing well," Akaki said. He invited anyone willing to learn to visit the farm freely, emphasizing that knowledge, not handouts, is the key to prosperity.
Chris Ronny Onzima, the farm manager, issued a strong appeal to the people of Lango, urging them to abandon the practice of selling ancestral land.
"Instead of selling the land, a person can plant Clonal eucalyptus and get enough money to buy even more land," Onzima said.
He specifically called on parents to plant Clonal eucalyptus on the gardens they intend to pass on to their children. "The children will start getting money earlier," he noted, suggesting that early income generation could break cycles of poverty and landlessness.
The 400-acre Agali Mixed Farm is a diversified agricultural operation featuring:
· Crops: Maize, sunflower, chilli, cocoa, coffee, cassava, okra,and clone cassava
· Livestock: Chickens, goats, cattle
· Beekeeping: Bees for honey production
Jovino Akaki Ayumu entered politics in 1996 as MP for Maruzi County in the former Apac District. He later served as State Minister for Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities (pre-2006). A loyal member of the NRM, he has led several presidential campaign efforts for Yoweri Museveni in Apac.
Akaki reiterated that Agali Mixed Farm remains open to all community members seeking practical farming skills. The farm serves as a demonstration site for sustainable, income-generating agriculture offering an alternative to land selling and subsistence digging.
