While exploring Uganda, there’s a new strategy whereby travellers and visitors are brought closer to the heart of the land and its people seeking more unique and immersive experiences when they travel away from the traditional Safari packages that Africa is famous for.
Both tourists and destinations are embracing sustainable tourism, which aims at minimizing the negative impacts of tourism like environmental degradation, cultural erosion, overcrowding, and inflation among others hence changing away from traditional mass tourism, where large numbers of visitors tend to crowd a destination and cause a lot of negative impacts on the environment and the local community.
Agro-tourism is blossoming, offering an intimate glimpse into rural life while allowing visitors a chance to explore responsibly. This involves visiting farms, plantations, and agricultural businesses and attending gastronomy festivals and events, among others, all for the benefit of experiencing rural life, culture and food. Visitors get to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and immerse themselves fully in the beauty of the countryside.
It was in this context that the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities organized a western region media Agro-tourism Fam trip and study tour to Nshenyi Cultural Village, Kabeihura Farm, and Emburara Farm Lodge among others to change the mindset of both domestic and foreign tourists, shifting the focus from traditional wildlife tracking and national parks to community-based tourism and agro-tourism.
According to Geoffrey Sseremba, the undersecretary at the Ministry, cooperating agriculture into tourism forms a formidable pathway to strengthening the country’s economic base that’s why the government is in support of seeing that the private sector investment in agriculture is sustained and brings out the profitability that can benefit the enterprises.
“Agriculture has been private practice but you know that since independence and even before independence, the government has been supporting and growing agriculture through plantations, agricultural credit, agricultural loan facility in the Bank of Uganda, the interventions even now the PDM, agriculture is one of the enterprises that is being supported among so many others,” he said.
Sseremba, therefore, encouraged the public to embrace this initiative of agro-tourism, saying, “It is a call to action for all of us to become ambassadors of Uganda’s agro-tourism potential to inspire and advocate for sustainable development through the integration of agriculture and tourism.”
Nshenyi Cultural Village
Located near Kitwe town in Ntungamo District, just an hour’s drive from Mbarara, Nshenyi Cultural Village offers visitors the opportunity to explore Uganda’s agricultural heritage. The team was excited to learn more about Ankole cattle-rearing practices that promote agro-tourism while enjoying the beautiful landscapes and the countryside.
The farm sits on approximately 420 acres of lush, breathtaking countryside. Here visitors are given a chance to enjoy the fresh air, the open spaces and the wonderful Ankole cattle, nature. On the arrival, the team was warmly received by the proprietor, Mary Mugyenyi, her daughter, Juliet Kabalungi, the entity’s marketing manager and Julius who welcomed us with freshly squeezed sugar cane juice, pineapple juice, coffee and vanilla-flavoured yoghurt, refreshing us, as she gave us an introduction to this family-run entity embracing mixed farming.
According to Mary Mugyenyi, Uganda’s representative in the East African Legislative Assembly and proprietor of Nshenyi Cultural Village, they are committed to cultural preservation and sustainability whereby visitors can enjoy a range of activities from milking Ankole cows and exploring traditional homesteads to honey harvesting, birdwatching or engaging with Batwa pottery.
“Our village offers an immersive agro-tourism experience, inviting visitors to explore the rich tapestry of agricultural practices deeply rooted in our cultural heritage,” she said.
Through the Tourism Ministry, Mugyenyi also made an appeal to the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) for better breeding and research on the local animals, saying, “I would ask MAAIF to improve research on our Indigenous cow so that they give it more qualities that are needed in the modern world like more milk production, and fast growth among others.”
In addition to animals like sheep, goats and cows, including Friesians and the long-horned Ankole cattle at the farm, they also have spacious rooms for accommodations that include suites and cottages where you can relax, read a book or share a glass of wine, with spacious and very clean washrooms that are always ready for the visitors.
As we departed, we left with a renewed appreciation for Uganda’s rich agricultural heritage and a promise to return, eager to explore more of the Agro-tourism practices that contribute to the country’s vibrant tourism sector.
Meanwhile, on the following day, the media team led by Eunice Tworekirwe, the Principal Communications Officer at the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities visited Kabeihura farm, the home of Kazi fresh yoghurt located in Bushenyi. Here, the group was received by the proprietor Eriyabu Muhoozi, his son Isaac Muhanguzi (one of the directors), among other family members.
In a conversation with Muhoozi, a veteran in Uganda’s tea sector, he highlighted the lack of structured agricultural education and value addition, saying, “Uganda lacks agricultural colleges, and without value addition, Ugandan products struggle to compete globally.”
He added that the long-awaited Tea Policy remains stuck in Parliament, leaving farmers without clear regulations and financial backing hence limiting Uganda’s competitiveness in global markets.
This growing sector in Uganda has the potential to generate significant revenue for the government and citizens alike, diversifying the country’s tourism offerings beyond traditional attractions.
Agriculture, which employs over 68% of Uganda’s population, remains a top priority. The government aims to boost funding for research into disease and drought-resistant crop varieties, alongside improvements in animal breeding and seed sector development.
Emburara Farm Lodge
Another key player visited during this western region agro-tourism Fam trip is the Emburara Farm Lodge, a high-end Eco-luxury lodge promoting cultural tourism and conservation of flora and fauna in a fresh, serene and relaxed farm environment.
Located along Mbarara-Ibanda road, approximately one and a half kilometres from the Nyakyisharara airstrip, the farm has the treasured long-horned Ankole cattle.
Sheila Tumwijukye, the assistant manager at Emburara Farm Lodge said, “We tell you the story and invite you to experience the life, culture and norms around these beautiful, gentle creatures so you, too, can know why they are so treasured.”
The Ministry of Tourism believes that with such media tours and FAM trips, the market will receive the recognition it deserves and even attract more visitors, thus boosting the economy within the region.
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