By George Aine
Rice production in Uganda has been growing fast in recent years. Figures from the Ministry of Agriculture indicate total production of milled rice by 2014 to be 154,000 metric tons and total consumption rate at 215,707 metric tons.
The imported rate is 132,316 metric tons valued at $45.4 million about (Shs163.8 billion) and the export rate was at 70,659 metric tons.
However, the country is targeting total production to be 600,000 metric tons by next year as such farmers are engaged in sensitization exercise to adopt best practices in a bid to achieve high yields.
The introduction of a new rice harvester early this year has helped farmers improve harvesting with minimal labour.
The rice is mainly grown in the eastern part of Uganda, especially in Butaleja District. One such farmer who has embraced the new technology that is Denis Ofwono from Butaleja District.
At his farm which measures four acres, he recalls using the traditional method of rice harvesting by hand picking and U-shaped hand slashers to cut rice stems.
This would, however, take his labourers two to four days to harvest the four-acre rice field. On average, labourers harvested one acre per day. “When I embraced this technology, I started harvesting very early in the morning and by 2:00pm, all the four acres are covered. The remaining workload gathering the rice to a collection point,” Ofwono explains.
Another farmer, Robert Othieno who also hails from Butaleja District equally prides in the efficiency of the rice harvester.
“In an hour or less, I use the machine to harvest one acre of rice,” Othieno says, adding that he used to spend between Shs50,000 to Shs70,000 on hiring labourers during the harvesting season. This also included the cost of feeding them.
How the machine works
Joan Amooti, the Sales Assistant at China Huangpai Food Machines at Uganda Manufacturers’ Association (UMA) show grounds at Lugogo says a rice harvester is a simple machine that eases the process of harvesting.
Physically, the rice harvester has the same shape as the powered engine slasher. The speed and rate of revolution of the cutting blades are just the same. Like the slasher, the rice harvester also uses petrol fuel to run its light and small engine.
“You hold the machine either on your left or right-hand side below your armpits as you operate it. It is from the handles that you adjust the speed,” Amooti says.
In one hour, Amooti says the rice harvester has the capacity of harvesting two acres but that this is dependent on the operator’s or farmer’s operating speed. On average, the rice harvester consumes approximately three litres of petrol fuel to harvest two acres of land.
Service and maintenance
Like any other farm machine, the rice harvester does not go about its work without any service and maintenance. You have to ensure that its engine oil is always the right amount to avoid friction.
At China Huangpai Food Machines, a farmer is trained how to use the machine at the onset of purchase which comes with a six months warranty. The machine costs Shs1.2m.
