For the tenth year running, Vision Group, together with the Embassy of the Netherlands, KLM Airlines, dfcu Bank and Koudijs Animal Nutrition, is running the Best Farmers Competition.
The 2025 competition is running from April to November, with the awards in December. Every week, Vision Group platforms will publish profiles of the farmers. Winners will walk away with sh150m and a fully paid-for trip to the Netherlands.
Joan Kantu Else is a farmer who combines cultural heritage with modern enterprise. The 68-year-old native of the Toro kingdom, proudly embraces her identity as a Mutoro.
Kantu owns Marakwet Organic Farm, located in Masongora village, Kabarole district. A fashion designer by training, her office is adorned with barkcloth bags and chocolate products, reflecting her commitment to organic farming and value addition. Her farm sits on 50 acres.
“Though I have my parents’ land, I wanted a piece that was truly mine. I bought land, or what we call ekibanja (customary land), in Masongora, purchasing it in small portions over time.”
She has expanded to 170 acres.
Her farming journey
She was drawn to farming because Uganda is blessed with fertile land and a favourable climate. She started with planting Ficus natalensis (omutoma) trees.
Her interest in the tree began after attending a fashion show where bark cloth was showcased. At the event, a gentleman from Masaka lamented that bark cloth was becoming extinct because no one was planting Ficus trees.
Intrigued, she spoke to that gentleman, and he suggested she find ficus tree seeds. However, by the time she stepped outside, all the seeds had been taken.
Back home, she researched further about bark cloth, learning that in Uganda, over 700 years ago, King Mwanga declared it the official royal attire.
She also learnt that the bark can be harvested continuously as it keeps regenerating. The bark also has natural insect-repellent properties, thus bedbugs and mosquitoes cannot survive in it.
When the leaves fall, they decompose, nourishing the soil, enriching it with nitrogen and help it retain moisture, making Ficus an excellent tree for environmental sustainability.
Determined to grow the tree, she travelled to Masaka, where the locals welcomed her and visited her farm to teach her how to plant and nurture ficus natalensis.
Whenever Kantu visits her farm, her first top is always the mother fi cus trees, where she enjoys the fresh air and inspects them to ensure they are in perfect health.
The varieties grown on her farm include Namweruka, Mmeembe, Enserere and Butana. These species are distinguished by their leaf shape, texture and the shade of bark cloth they produce.
She has 200 trees on her farm, and many of them are already yielding bark cloth for commercial use. Additionally, her boundaries are lined with ficus trees, and many more are integrated into her cocoa gardens.
Her farm has become an academy of sorts, attracting people from all walks of life to learn about the different species of ficus trees and how to make barkcloth.
Agronomic practices
One acre can accommodate 400 Ficus trees when spaced at 10ft x 10ft. However, when inter-cropped, the spacing is doubled to 20ft x 20ft, accommodating about 200 trees per acre.
She notes that while wider spacing results in larger trees, proper growth also requires manure. The ideal time for harvesting bark cloth is during cool weather.
The process begins by carefully scraping off the surface layer to expose the bark. A vertical slit is then made along the tree’s stem from top to bottom using a knife. With the help of a banana leaf stalk, the bark is peeled off, starting from the base and moving upwards.
To aid in regeneration, cow dung is smeared.
Growing cocoa
In 2020, Kantu considered diversifying into growing avocado.
She travelled to Kenya where she visited Nairobi, the capital city as well as Thika, an industrial town and spent two nights observing avocado cultivation.
She learnt that avocado farming required heavy chemical use, which she was unwilling to adopt. She quit avocado and opted for cocoa that can be grown without the use of chemicals.
A second reason for choosing cocoa was her desire for a crop that has a high demand on the international market and could be grown by many Ugandan farmers.
“I also discovered that neighbouring countries like Kenya were exporting chocolate in large volumes,” she adds.
Her venture into growing cocoa was concretised when a friend visited her farm and pointed out that she already had the crop, but was not aware of it!
She waited until the trees bore fruit. That marked the start of her cocoa farming journey in 2021. To gain insights on the best practices, Kantu visited Bundibugyo, a district known for cocoa farming.
“The research was invaluable because the soils in western Uganda are similar to those in the central region, meaning we could grow the same crops,” she explains.
“She began with a one-acre project and an initial investment of sh3m. I had also surveyed the seedlings provided by cocoa farmers.”
The enterprise now covers 50 acres. However, Kantu acknowledges that her yields are still low compared to market demand.
Agronomic practices
To adhere to her vision of organic farming, she ensures that all out-growers provide organic seeds.
Charles Akiiki the farm manager explains that cocoa takes at least five years to start producing a reasonable yield, reaching full production at 10 to 15 years.
With proper agronomic practices, the trees can continue to bear fruit for over 50 years. Once cocoa is planted, Akiiki explains that proper agronomic practices are essential for healthy growth, especially during the first five years before the trees start fruiting.
Farmers must provide continuous care that includes weeding, mulching, pruning and shade management, to ensure strong and productive trees.
Pest and disease control is also a key aspect of cocoa farming, notes Lillian Atugonza, the farm’s agronomist.
Although Uganda’s climate makes it unconducive for major cocoa diseases like black pod disease and witches’ broom disease, pests such as ants are still a problem.
Value addition
She produces chocolate under the Cocoa Mata brand, with the product processed in Kampala. She plans to set up processing equipment at the farm.
“My major focus is on the quality of the products, which attracts buyers and consumers,” Kantu says.
Each of her products has a unique name.
“The 45g milk chocolates are called Rwakitura, while the dark ones are Kwaruzika. For the 7g chocolates, the milk variety is Mukura, and the dark is River Mpanga.”
Community impact
After noticing many children out of school, she began paying school fees for 50 children in the village. She also distributed tree seeds to promote environmental conservation, but at first, villagers were skeptical.
Many believed planting ficus trees would harm their bananas. However, through persistent education and demonstration, she changed their perception, encouraging them to embrace tree planting.
Kantu’s farm is a training hub where her team of experts provides free monthly training sessions, especially for out-growers. These sessions cover best cocoa farming practices to enhance productivity.
She also supplies free cocoa seedlings to the farmers she mentors and purchases their harvests, ensuring they have a ready market.
Her agribusiness supports over 500 families through value-added trade in sweet chocolate and bark cloth products.
Kantu is also building a network of clients in and outside Uganda.
Kantu has also created employment opportunities for many in her community.
She has 20 permanent employees and hires 60 casual workers during cocoa planting and harvesting seasons, providing a reliable source of income for local families.
Family involvement
“I work closely with my husband and children.
“They provide immeasurable moral support. I loved farming even when I was still a child.”
Her husband offers financial support, while her children supervise activities on the farm.
Investment, earnings, expenditure
The initial investment in Kantu’s farm exceeded sh200m. This included purchasing pieces of land and setting up various enterprises that include dairy farming, cocoa plantations, Ficus trees, a tree nursery bed and goat rearing.
Management, Kantu says, spends sh5m-sh10m on monthly salaries and farm maintenance.
Kantu’s workers are paid between sh200,000 and sh300,000 per month.
All the permanent staff have accommodation on the farm and are also given meals. Kantu says she does not spend on herbicides and pesticides because she practices organic farming.
“Whatever money we make is ploughed back into the farm,” she says.
What people say
Martin Araali, a resident of Masongora Kantu is an inspiration to many in the community, especially youth, because she turned barren land into a thriving, productive farm.
Grace Kansiime, a neighbour Kantu often shares advice and seedlings with others, helping many women in the area start their own farming projects.
Challenges
Managing a large farm comes with numerous challenges, and for Kantu, water scarcity is the biggest hurdle.
Her farm is located in a hilly area, making irrigation difficult. Without a reliable water source, maintaining her crops and ensuring steady yields is a struggle.
Another major challenge is financial pressure. Kantu has invested all her savings and earnings on the farm, but has yet to see significant profits.
Despite this, she must continue paying the workers, adding to her financial burden.
Finding reliable workers is another significant obstacle. Some of her workers steal from her, while others abandon their jobs without notice, leaving the farm short-handed.
Young boys she hires often lack patience, looking for quick money rather than committing to long-term work. This inconsistency in labour affects farm productivity and sustainability.
Other enterprises
Kantu has a thriving livestock section on her farm, where she rears 150 goats and 82 local cows.
She prioritises indigenous breeds over exotic ones due to their resilience to local climatic conditions and diseases.
Kantu emphasises sustainable farming, ensuring that her livestock complement her organic farming practices. Thus, the goats provide meat and manure, which she uses to enrich her farm’s soil.
Her cows serve multiple purposes, including milk production and organic fertiliser from cow dung, which she applies to her cocoa and Ficus trees.
Achievements
For Kantu, the greatest achievement as a farmer is cultivating a seed and harvesting it.
She takes pride in her crops, knowing that each contributes to her success. One of her biggest joys comes from seeing people enjoy chocolate.
She shares her chocolate with the villagers, allowing them to taste and appreciate the results of their labour.
Seeing their smiles empowers them, reinforcing the value of their efforts and the “sweet of their own sweat.”
Plans
Kantu envisions expanding her farm into an agribusiness hub, producing high-quality cocoa and barkcloth on a large scale.
She plans to increase cocoa processing capacity by acquiring advanced machinery.
She intends to establish an irrigation system to address water shortages.
With these developments, she hopes to increase productivity, create more jobs and enhance community livelihoods through sustainable farming.
Her target is to expand to around 100,000 ficus trees and she has over 50,000 cocoa seedlings.
She plans to expand tree planting, improve soil fertility naturally, and train youth and women in climate-smart agricultural techniques.
LEAD PHOTO CAPTION: Kantu’s agribusiness supports over 500 families through value-added trade in sweet chocolate.
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