IFDCComposting initiatives in UgandaDavid Hirst

Julius Turyamwijuka

D

IFDC

IFDC

Uganda's soils Soils are getting increasingly depleted

IFDC

Soils cont..

IFDC

usage Use of fertilizer is very low standing at 2-8%

for inorganic fertilizer and 24.9% for organicfertilizer. IF 1 kg/ha and is below the Sub-Saharan Africa average of 9.6 kg/ha.

Regions

Fertiliser use

Organic Inorganic

Central region 34.2 11.7Kampala 23.0 5.5Central 1 41.5 14.7Central 2 27.6 9.2Eastern region 21.9 10.4East Central 15.4 5.2Eastern 25.9 13.6Northern region 9.6 4.4Mid-North 6.7 3.6North East 2.1 2.0West Nile 16.0 6.2western region 33.9 6.5Mid-West 15.9 5.9South-Western 49.0 7.1

IFDC

Ag/household waste Organic fertilizer is largely

‘home grown’ ISFM techniques such as

mulching, fallowing;submersion of crop residues,bunds (soil, grass and stone) tocontrol soil erosion.

Some use of animal manureand compost

With these practices plussupplementary CStechnologies such as UDPgood increases in yield

IFDC

initiatives

• Landfill in Kampala (3 sites)• Uganda solid waste

composting program,funded by World Bank andmanaged by NationalEnvironmental ManagementAuthority (NEMA).

• Biogas• Biochar – R&D

IFDC

SWM - Lira composting facilityAerobic windrow composting;leachate is applied to windrowas a source of compostinginoculum35 tonnes p/d SW generatedfrom 2/4 divisions.95% of waste received isbiodegradableC/N ratio is too low at 12.Two revenue sources; carboncredits. 2,500 USD receivedfrom 2011; sales 9MT per week,but, demand is low

IFDC

Case study..challenges Collection and sweeping

isn’t done efficiently(managed by divisions)

Waste segregation isdone on site manually.Some hazardous

Operational fundsrequired to cover repairs

15 USD p/t plus transport High application rates. 2-3

tons p/a for heavy feedercrops maize, potatoes.

A large percentage ofsolid waste still dumped

IFDCCase study 2 – Biochar research,5km from central Kampala

Raw Materials used to make Biochar organicfertilizer.

• Charcoal powder- helps in retaining water andnutrients in the soil, stabilizes soil PH. Terra preta.

• Inoculated animal / municipal waste from a bio-digester.- free from CH4 gases, and rich in Nitrogen.

• Vermiculite and Betonite. –Rich in K, Mg, Ca, P,and other micro nutrients.

• Ash- Rich in K.• Phosphates mixed with bamboo vinegar to convert

P to P2O5.

IFDCMunicipal waste/ banana peelsconverted into charcoal powder.

IFDC

Biochar trials

IFDC

Packaging bag

IFDC

Biochar cont Min factory set up of capacity 3 tones daily, Three outlets,

in Uganda. Demonstrations and field trials on different crops in

collaboration with other government research institutionslike UIRI, MUK, NFA, Agriculture etc.

We have also done several laboratory tests We are in process of securing product certification from

Ministry of Agriculture of Uganda and IMO. NFA sole supplier of forest inputs.

IFDC

General challenges In general awareness about benefits of composting

limited Lack of collection and sorting systems Lack of incentives for private sector Transportation costs Poor market research/lack of marketing More emphasis on safe disposal than compost quality Negative balances may not be offset by MSW (1-3%)

however potential from human excreta greater (17-60%)

IFDC

Opportunities Some skepticism about use of inorganic fertilizers Problems with inorganic fertilizer supply chain In Kampala 28,000 tons of waste is collected and

delivered to landfill sites every month most of which issimply burnt

Other urban areas high biodegradable content of SW Middle class consumer interested in quality More focus on higher value crops in peri urban use of

processed liquid fertilizer (by mixing and fermentingmolasses, animal droppings and plant tissues), fororchards, banana plantations, horticulture crops, homeflower gardens.

IFDC

Thank You