The four-year programme “Capacity building in the floriculture sub sector in Uganda” ended formally on 7 May 2010 with an official ceremony in Kampala.
Since 2006, two Ugandan education institutions, the Agricultural College (BAC) and Mountains of the Moon University (MMU) have developed new curricula on floriculture in collaboration with a consortium with Wageningen University (PPO, LEI and ECS) and PTC+ in Ede. The project was financed by NUFFIC, amounting to €1.5m. The first batches of students have already graduated and, in spite of the recession, the majority found jobs in the floriculture industry.
In addition to the development of a floriculture curriculum with a new competence-based approach, two new greenhouse complexes were built to enable applied research and practice for students. Furthermore, in consultation with the business community and under the responsibility of the Uganda Flower Export Association (UFEA), a new practical short-course programme has been developed for flower farm staff. A separate curriculum was aimed at the development of public-private partnerships in small-scale floriculture, in close collaboration with the Uganda Flower Association (UFA) and the Uganda Tropical Plant Association (UTPA).
The end of the project event included a certificate-awarding ceremony and giving a present to the most outstanding students. Also, there were speeches by representatives of MMU, BAC, (UFEA) and the Dutch project leader of PTC+. On behalf of the ambassador of the Netherlands to Uganda, Mr. Melle Leenstra addressed the assembled stakeholders. Several speakers acknowledged that with the operation of the new curriculum, the two agricultural education institutes are in an excellent position to supply the Uganda flower export industry with new staff with a good hands-on mentality and knowledge of floriculture.