What we do
Value Addition
GADC processes seed cotton in our three ginneries and oil mill, producing lint, edible oil, and seed cake. GADC also operates a maize mill, and preliminary processing facilities for sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and chillis. The cotton seed cake and maize bran are combined to formulate poultry and animal feed.
Video Training
Due to low levels of literacy found in our progamme areas, conventional training techniques are often insufficient. GADC have pioneered the use of video technology to deliver a low-cost, highly effective and sustainable approach to delivering extension services to farmers and their extended communities.
Agro-produce Marketing
Many parts of Acholi land are very remote, with poor roads and limited cell phone reception. Farmers need to be able to sell their produce close to their farms as they don’t have their own transport. GADC has transformed market access for rural farmers with transport arranged through our network of 189 trained buyers. Our buyers are pre-financed and provide instant payment to farmers for their crop.
Extension Services
Processing facilities are available in the region but supply of crops from farmers constrains production. GADC has built an extension network of 289 field officers and 2,890 lead farmers to support 87,000 smallholder farmers in the Acholi sub-region. We are now extending our network to the West Nile targeting 30,000 farmers.
Financial Inclusion & Linkages
GADC is the largest organiser of Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs) in Northern Uganda. Tens of thousands of previously unbanked farmers are being connected with financial institutions both as individuals and through their groups. We also improve market access by connecting rural farmers with agro-input dealers.
Farmer Training
Delivered through our extension network, our comprehensive training curriculum for smallholder farmers includes best agronomic practices, basic business skills and marketing, principles of organic farming, and harvest and post-harvest handling techniques.
Asset Financing
Many Acholi farmers lack appropriate agricultural tools. We facilitate farmers’ access to ox-drawn tillage implements, such as conservation yokes and weeders, planters and rippers, enabling farmers to increase their acreage. GADC is now scaling up our asset financing programme to other assets, such as irrigation kits, spray pumps and boda-boda for crop transport and off-season income.
Post-Harvest Handling
Through training and equipment subsidies, GADC assists farmers to reduce losses through harvest and post-harvest handling. This includes promotion of appropriate and novel technologies for preliminary processing: cleaning, sorting and storage
Local Business & Market Development
We support micro-entrepreneurs with business development training, skills development and asset financing. To date, we have helped 463 tillage service providers and five local seed businesses to start-up.