More than 150 cassava farmers and SMEs involved in different stages of the value chain in Arua District have undergone a 4-day extensive training to enable them explore trade opportunities across the region under the Post Bank Agri-SME Skills Development Programme.
In partnership with Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises (FSME) the aim is to equip them with value addition skills.
Kizito Enzama, a Personal Banker at Post Bank Arua branch, on behalf of the Branch Manager says, “at Post Bank, we are committed to fostering prosperity for Ugandans which aligns with our new tagline, Grow Prosper. By upskilling farmers, we can enable them to transition from subsistence to commercial farming. This transformation allows their products to meet both local and international market standards, improving their market base.”
Upon completion of the four-day training, the participants have been awarded certificates, in a ceremony presided over by the Resident City Commissioner, Arua Town, Mr. Charles Ichogor who has hailed the financial institution.
“We are truly grateful that Arua District was selected for this very insightful training, and I encourage all the participants to adopt and put into practice the knowledge they have acquired to ensure better quality cassava products.”
He adds that the efforts of Post Bank Uganda and their implementation partner FSME towards extending such opportunities have a positive impact.
The training session involved 3 days of technical training at Kabia and Sons Millers where the farmers had a hands-on learning session at the plant gaining knowledge on the entire process of producing cassava flour, proper post-harvest handling to maintain quality, and good manufacturing practices and an overall approach to value addition on their cassava produce with the required quality so that they can explore regional trade opportunities.
The final day of the training had a financial literacy session led by the team from Post Bank Arua branch to ensure that farmers are equipped with the knowledge to properly handle their finances and educate them on the different agricultural products offered by the bank that can support them on their journey as they grow and prosper.