By Eye Media Reporter | July 3, 2026
JINJA – Affordable agricultural machinery and climate-smart farming technologies have emerged among the biggest attractions at the ongoing 32nd Source of the Nile National Agriculture Show, with exhibitors urging farmers to embrace mechanisation to boost productivity, reduce production costs and increase household incomes.
The annual exhibition has drawn hundreds of exhibitors from Uganda and beyond, showcasing modern farming technologies, improved crop varieties, quality livestock breeds, irrigation systems and innovative agribusiness solutions aimed at transforming Uganda’s agricultural sector.
One of the exhibitors attracting significant interest is Meta Plant and Equipment Uganda Ltd, the authorised dealer of New Holland tractors and Fieldking farm implements.
The company is displaying a wide range of tractors and farm machinery while offering flexible financing options designed to enable more Ugandan farmers to own modern agricultural equipment.
Speaking at the company’s exhibition stall, Meta Plant and Equipment representative Dorcus Najjemba said the firm is working with commercial banks to make tractors more affordable, particularly for smallholder farmers who may not have enough capital to purchase them outright.
According to Najjemba, a 55-horsepower New Holland tractor costs approximately Shs95 million, but farmers are only required to raise a 10 percent deposit under the financing arrangement.
“The farmer pays only 10 percent of the tractor’s cost while the partner bank finances the remaining balance. Repayment is structured according to farming seasons, allowing farmers to pay in instalments twice a year,” she explained.
She encouraged farmers to organise themselves into cooperatives or farmer groups, saying collective investment makes mechanisation more affordable and beneficial.
“It is much easier for a group of farmers to jointly purchase a tractor than for one individual. A single tractor (55 Horsepower) can cultivate up to 8 acres in a day, meaning many farmers can benefit from the same machine within a short period,” Najjemba said.
Addressing concerns about maintenance, she assured farmers that the company has invested heavily in after-sales support through a countrywide network of spare parts outlets and trained technicians.
“In the Busoga sub-region alone, we operate a spare parts outlet in Buwenge and have qualified technicians who can quickly respond whenever a farmer experiences a mechanical breakdown. Our support services are only a phone call away,” she noted.
Najjemba emphasised that mechanisation remains critical if agriculture is to become a profitable business.
“Modern machinery saves time, reduces labour costs and enables farmers to cultivate larger areas within a shorter period. That translates into higher production and increased profitability,” she added.
Meanwhile, the State Minister for Fisheries, Hon. Robert Migadde Ndugwa, toured several exhibition stalls where he interacted with exhibitors and observed innovations in aquaculture, livestock production and crop technologies presented by research institutions and private sector players.
The minister urged Ugandans, particularly beneficiaries of the Parish Development Model (PDM), to take advantage of the remaining days of the exhibition to acquire practical farming knowledge and explore technologies that can improve agricultural productivity.
“Agriculture remains the backbone of Uganda’s economy and one investment that will always have a ready market because people need food every day. I encourage especially beneficiaries of the Parish Development Model to visit the show, learn modern farming practices and make informed investment decisions that will improve their household incomes,” Migadde said.
The 32nd Source of the Nile National Agriculture Show continues at the Jinja Show Grounds, bringing together farmers, researchers, financial institutions, development partners and agribusiness companies to promote innovation, knowledge sharing and sustainable agricultural development across Uganda.
