PINEAPPLE GROWING MADE EASY

A few things you should know about pineapple plant
• Pineapples don't need much water. They have very tough leaves so they don't lose much water through evaporation. They can get by on very little.
• Pineapples don't need much soil or high quality soil,they do not have a big root system.
• Pineapples get a lot of their water and nutrition through their leaves.
• Pineapples like slightly acidic soils, which is what most gardens have anyway.
• Pineapples grow in full sun, even in the hottest climates, but they also do well in dappled shade.
• Pineapples grow very happily in pots or tubs.
A few things you should know about pineapple plants:
• Pineapples don't need much water. They have very tough leaves so they don't lose much water through evaporation. They can get by on very little.
• Pineapples don't need much soil or high quality soil,they do not have a big root system.
• Pineapples get a lot of their water and nutrition through their leaves.
• Pineapples like slightly acidic soils, which is what most gardens have anyway.
• Pineapples grow in full sun, even in the hottest climates, but they also do well in dappled shade.
• Pineapples grow very happily in pots or tubs.
What pineapples do not like is
• soggy, waterlogged soils,
• having their leaves burned with concentrated fertilisers,
• frost.

BY DOCUMENTATION OFFICER

learning to post

RIC-NET now online!

Proably you may be aware on not that RIC-NET website has been offline for the purpose of re-construction to provide a nice look to our viewers. It is good news that it was finally completed and it is back online with a new, beautifully and dynamic look.

You are highly welcome to our website. Visit our website to know much more about RIC-NET. Your visit online is highly waited for.

Visit us at http://www.ricnet.info/

Internet made easy

Yesterday I walked into Uganda Telecoms Limited’s temporary offices at
Posta Uganda (Their state of art Rwenzori Court location is under renovations) to fulfill my monthly obligations of paying for my internet connection. While this is nothing out of the ordinary for me, this time I was in for a pleasant surprise. The smartly dressed lady on the other side of the counter told me that my bill was approximately 40 US dollars.

Suspecting some sort of mistake I promptly pointed out to her that on average I pay about 100 dollars. ‘Oh !’ she said with a smile that made me forget of the hustle and bustle of the lunch time traffic jam I faced in the scorching Kampala heat while coming here, ‘With effect from 1st April our charges will be slashed by over 50%’ . To tell you the truth I had seen this coming. I have been following the developments in the Telecom industry for quite sometime now.

We have seen them digging, endless adverts on the media of the new era in online activity, fights on what amount was meant for what and even accusations and counter accusations with road authorities on who trespassed into whose allocated land. All the way from Busia and Malaba border towns criss-crossing the country were the fibre optics being laid.

Since 2008 we were promised that soon internet prices will go down and accessing such services will no longer be a luxury. Just a few weeks ago Mr Geoffrey Kiirya, the principal information scientist and spokesperson in the ministry of ICT was quoted in a local daily saying that 10 years from now everything will be fully-computerized and digitalized and people will even be able to work right from their homes. This now seems to be a reality indeed.

Now that the issue of cost is slowly being taken care of lets hope that the challenge of computer illiteracy will follow suit as well as programs be put in place to raise awareness about the benefits the web offers.

According to my projections the next issue that we will be discussing in the not so far future is whether lowering the price of broadband will lead to an increase in its use? But until then lets not count our chicks before the eggs have hatched and marvel at the far that we have come.
Francis Mwathi
Support Community Facilitator

“Uganda telecom broadband is an extremely fast internet access, targeted at those that need and appreciate the value of extreme speed. With a broadband connection you can enjoy the full range of internet services opening up a whole new world of content. Benefits
• Speeds of up to 128 kbs
• Always on internet access
• Virtual mail hosting (5 e-mail accounts) or one utlonline account
• Fixed IP
• One flat monthly fee
• No telephone bills
• A range of actions can be done at the same time like:
Download files or software, Share photos, Browse the web, Play games, Check E-mail, Streaming media i.e. you can watch high quality media on your PC such as music, videos, movie trailers, concerts etc - at a higher speed”.
From http://www.utl.co.ug/utl.php?i=16

ACCESS TO MARKET INFORMATION MADE EASY IN KABAROLE

Kabarole District is one of the Districts in the Western Region that had never been included on the list of the market information systems that is headed by FIT Uganda. However, recently, RIC-NET partnered with FIT Uganda to ensure that this information is collected and disseminated.

FIT Uganda is playing a very big role in supporting RIC-NET to ensure that timely and up to date market information is collected and disseminated to the relevant stakeholders involved in the agricultural enterprises.

Information is mainly about the key agricultural products, looks at the price changes over time and helps to guide the farmers on when to grow and sell best.

We all hope that this will help the farmers in planning and therefore increase their productivity

The E-Society Kicks off in Kabarole

It was a moment of hope and truth when RIC-NET's Programs Manager and ICT Officer met with the District chief Executive Officer (C.A.O) and District officials on Tuesday 17th March 2010 at the District head quarters in Boma, Fort Portal, to introduce the idea of E-Society in Kabarole District. RIC-NET programs Manager , Mr. Murugahara John Silco took the Official through explaining the concept of the E-Society and the activities expected in this dearly waited for project.

The most initial concern was the District website which has been off for some time due to lack of payment of the monthly subscription fee and regular updating of the website. RIC-NET promised to initiate the project with ensuring the website is back online.

All Officials present professed that they were so much eager to see this project succeed. The Information Officer showed so much Interest in the Project almost than any body else. Personally, from what I saw and what I heard, I concluded that the project would not fail in Fort Portal no matter what! Since the District embraced the project so dearly.

Reported by

Bwambale Edwin
ICTO, RIC-NET

immunization for children,a challenge in the rural

Rural women in Kyondo sub county in Kasese District on 5th February 2010 were left wondering when they failed to locate the health worker in charge of the immunization program in Kyondo sub county to have their children under five years of age immunized.
more details i the EU-news letter
By Timothy

Pineapple farmers trained in pineapple wilt management

Pineapple is high value crop contributing a gross income of 10.000.000 at household per acre of 20.000 plants which is sold at an average price of 500. In the Rwenzori, the crop is currently being grown in Kamwenge, Kasese, and Kyenjojo.The crop can almost grow on any type of soil, but it more adaptive to acid soils with a soil PH which is between 4.5 and 5.5, soil borne diseases are reduced.

The common variety grown in this region is the smooth cayenne which has no thorns, gives fruits of about 1.5-3kgs, more acidic, and requires temperatures between 24-270 c and a rainfall between 1200m-1500m.

This valuable crop has been attacked by the wilt disease and farmers are not yet aware which type of wilt is available in their gardens and how it can be controlled. The most common types of wilt include among others:
1. Wilt caused by nutrient deficiency
2. Mealy bug wilt (virus) wilt,
3. Nematode wilt, (phytophora fungi)
4. Heart and root rot.

To enhance the information sharing on the causes and control of the disease,SNV together with Ric-net,mountain of moon university,have selected twenty farmers from Kasese,Kamwenge and Kyenjojo to be trained as trainers of trainees in the management of pineapple wilt in the regions.

The twenty farmers have been trained in the identification of the wilt,the possible causes and control measures.these farmers will in turn trained the rest of the pineapple farmers in the management of the wilt.