Godfrey Ormany is one of 3,281 model farmers in northern Uganda trained (through a USAID-funded program) in the use of better seeds and efficient farming techniques. These model farmers, like Godfrey, then share the knowledge and skills through a network of 27,213 farmers in the region. This simple support is maximized through the farmer network and has resulted in tremendous increases in farmers’ yields overall – beans (369%), sesame (135%), groundnuts (174%), and respectable increases of maize and rice. As a result of these greater commodity sales, the families’ incomes have increased.

USAID also addresses specific needs of farmers through “in kind” loans of livestock, equipment, transportation to markets, and other carefully chosen one-time investments that allow the farmers to become more self-sufficient. For instance, a group of farmers will receive a pair of oxen and a plow. After two years, they are expected to repay the loans based on the value of the items, which is then used to purchase a new pair of oxen and plow for another group of farmers. A similar strategy is used for marketing associations which receive cash for specific marketing activities which they then repay within eight months.