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A primary teacher earns shs 22million from tomatoes growing.
SERERE: While other primary teachers across the country are fighting hard to solve their problems with the meager monthly salary of around Shs480,000 for a grade three teacher, on the side of Madam Jacinta Agoe of Alos Primary school in Kateta Sub county, Serere district things seem to be not hard looking at the venture of growing tomatoes and onions within the school land under the help of the ministry of water and environment.
Ms Agoe told this publication that she was recruited as a grade three teacher in March 2022 but she spent nine month without any single salary but what helped her was growing tomatoes while teaching.
Ms Agoe with five other teachers formed their group named teachers at work and benefited from the solar pumped irrigation system which the ministry of water and environment constructed in the area and the system has since changed the lives of many farmers who are using it.
She said the ministry of water advanced them Shs3million that helped them to clear their land, buy seeds for tomatoes, onions and chemicals. She adds that their first harvest of tomatoes and onions earned them Shs22million.
“My dear when we got that money the sky was the limit for me who had spent nine month without salaries, we distributed that money among our selves and for me I rushed to the cattle market and bought two bulls that am now using for ploughing at my home,”She explained.
She adds that other part of money she saved in her personal account and they have also put aside some money in the group account for other emergencies like buying chemicals and so on. Ms Agoe couldn’t hold her excitement and so far they have again planted tomatoes, onions and eggplants which are expecting to get shs 30million.
The irrigation system which costed government to about shs 1bn has sofar benefited about 50 farmers others are growing citrus oranges, mangoes, pawpaws. Mr.Amos Ocola the lc3 chairperson Kateta called for more farmers to be connected to the system
“This is the only irrigation system that we are proud off as people of Kateta and am appealing the ministry and government to help us with more of such systems so that we can continue producing food,”he said.
He said Serere district remains one of the food basket districts in the entire Teso region and as says that as long as such systems are in place it will help to boost the farming.