Best Farmers 2025: Nelly Turyahebwa leads is Eastern Uganda's Best Farmer

VISION GROUP | HARVEST MONEY | BEST FARMERS | TORORO

Tororo’s residents were spending more than sh21m daily on 5,000 litres of milk daily and 500 bunches of matooke trucked in from outside the district. For Nelly Turyahebwa, that wasn’t just a statistic; it was an opportunity. Armed with research and determination, in 2015, she quit her job at National Water and Sewerage Corporation to venture into farming. 

Turyahebwa began in 2018 with 10 pure friesian cows, later expanding to 35. Over time, she phased out older animals and by 2025, she had 25. At the time of publication, 17 were lactating, with each producing 25 litres daily, yielding a total of 400 litres on average.

Although she owns equipment for yoghurt she has not yet ventured into value addition. “Demand for milk is high, yet I cannot satisfy it. I have plans to expand,” she says.

To boost production, she has made payment for a fresh stock of 10 super dairy animals she has sourced from neighbouring, sister country of Kenya a plan expected to be executed in a period of a month as securing live stock from one country to another is in its self am elaborate ritual.

This would double the output 800litres, creating a surplus needed for youghurt and cheese.

Feeding and Animal Care

Her cows are given fodder, which includes Napier, elephant grass, calliandra, which she grows on 10 acres. Each cow, weighing 500–600kg, consumes 100–120kg of feed daily. Rations are supplemented with maize bran, soya, sunflower cake, and concentrates.

She stresses hygiene, clean water, and vaccination schedules. “When basics are observed, disease outbreaks are rare. Our monthly veterinary drugs bill is less than sh200,000,” she notes.

The farm employs six permanent workers, each earning sh200,000. Casual labourers are hired during peak periods with each paid per task done.

Markets and Clients

Since 2018, she has built a strong market for raw milk. Her clientele includes  Tororo Cement, with its large workforce, and Busitema University. In 2025, the farm-gate price of milk was sh2,500 per litre.

She is also investing in artificial insemination to improve breeds, using semen from superior bulls with high‑yield genetics.

Banana Enterprise

In 2018, Turyahebwa planted 670 suckers on 1.5 acres after consulting agronomists. She chose Mpologoma, Kisansa, and Kibuzi varieties. By 2025, the plantation was about five acres.

She harvests about 200 bunches monthly, with each sold at sh25,000 which translates to a total of sh5m. Buyers harvest and transport the bananas themselves, saving her costs.

Poultry Venture

With profits from dairy and bananas, in 2022, she diversified part of her savings into poultry, starting with 4,000 broilers (prefers not to disclose).  Demand was strong, especially across the border in Kenya, prompting her to double the stock.

Financial

Turyahebwa contends that gradual blossoming of her empire has been done gradually, with each of the string of enterprises in her armpits carefully and periodically audited.

“The enterprises are my livelihood. Each of the enterprise has books of account that I carefully audit.

“I prefer not dwell into figures for I’m a private person, but to say the least the enterprise fetch me a modest profit margin,” she observes without commenting further.         

This is the tenth year running that Vision Group, together with the Embassy of the Netherlands, KLM Airlines, dfcu Bank and Koudijs Animal Nutrition, are running the Best Farmers competition. The 2025 competition run from March to November, culminating in today’s awards ceremony.