An industrial training report carried out from 28th Feb to 6th May 2022 in Kawacom Uganda limited p. o box 222623, Alisi village, Paidha town council, Zombo district, west Nile Uganda.

Abstract

This field attachment was carried out at Kawacom Uganda Limited for a period of two months and two weeks [10wks] which started on 28thfeb 2022 to 6thmay 2022 in different sections and departments to enhance knowledge and skills in general agriculture. The objectives of the industrial attachment was to expose the students and enable them to put into practice knowledge acquired from classroom and acquaint students with practical knowledge for easy service delivery to farmers. During the attachment, different activities were conducted in the different departments i.e. administration work, sections of the farm such as Kawacom coffee demonstration farm, where activities such as pruning, weeding, coffee nursery operation and stumping of coffee were done. Also office documentation informs of data entry into excel, compiling coffee purchase receipts and filling coffee buying records for 2021 were done. The organization also organized field work inform of internal inspection of coffee and coffee farmers, profiling and registration of pulper machine owners, registration and profiling of coffee nurseries and operators, distribution of fertilizers. The following are some of the key activities carried out during the period, internal inspection of coffee and coffee farmers, registration and inspection of coffee nurseries, registration of pulper coffee machine owners, distribution of coffee seedlings and fertilizers, teaching farmers on (GAPS) Good Agricultural Practices such as; weeding, coffee pruning, coffee stumping, mulching and soil erosion control such as trench digging and intercropping. Under office documentation, I was able to enter data into excel, compile the different coffee purchase receipts and filling the coffee buying record books for 2021, and I was able to understand the different coffee purchase receipts used by Kawacom Uganda Limited such as purchment cherries receipt, organic cherries receipt and Rainforest Alliance (RA). In Kawacom demonstration garden I was able to learn how to stump coffee, carry out weeding, mulching, water coffee seedlings in the nursery bed using both pipes and watering can, and also carry out pruning of coffee using a pruning saw. During the internship period, I was able to compare/ use the knowledge I got in class to acquire practical aspects of it such as, leadership skills and communication skills and I was able to gain confidence associating with people and coffee farmers. The following are some of the challenges faced during the attachment period which Included; Long working hours, Harsh climatic conditions such as heavy rainfall during field inspection, language barrier, delayed assessment, unfulfilled expectations like, value addition in coffee inform of coffee processing. In conclusion, the training was successfully done because it was actively and lively done with the interactions with the field supervisor, agronomist, other field officers, and other section officers like the nursery operators.