In the bustling Mbale Central Market of Eastern Uganda, a remarkable story of resilience and growth unfolds through the journey of the Muno Mukabi Tomato Association. Founded in 2020 with just 18 members, the group has blossomed into a thriving cooperative of 40 dedicated vendors\u201411 men, 29 women, and 12 energetic youths\u2014united by a common goal: to uplift their livelihoods and support each other through the regresses and drifts of market life.<\/p>\n
From Small Stalls to a Thriving Wholesale Business<\/strong><\/p>\n Initially, the association operated modestly, with members selling a maximum of three boxes (about 35kg each) of tomatoes daily at UGX 2,500 per kg, earning a modest UGX 87,500 (USD 23) daily. The journey from farm to market was characterized by several challenges\u2014damaged produce, high transport costs, and inconsistent supplies. Profits were thin, often just UGX 5,000 (USD 1.3) per box, and setbacks like rotting tomatoes or costly transportation meant many struggled to meet family needs or grow their businesses.<\/p>\n A Spark of Change: Joining the HortiMAP Initiative<\/strong><\/p>\n In 2023, Muno Mukabi Tomato Association joined the HortiMAP project after being introduced to it by TechnoServe\u2019s Business Councilor during a routine market inspection undertaken by the market master.\u00a0 The association members saw a new horizon\u2014an opportunity to transform their operations. Inspired by neighboring vendors who had already benefited from HortiMAP\u2019s training and support, Muno Mukabi began embracing new practices in stall management, customer care, hygiene, and record-keeping. These improvements in business practices bore fruit. The association\u2019s customer base increased from 50-60 to 80-100 buyers daily. They began selling 3 to 5 boxes (approximately 175kg) of tomatoes each day at UGX 2,500 per kg, generating UGX 437,500 (USD 119) in daily sales and a profit of UGX 37,500 (USD 23) \u2014more than double their previous earnings.<\/p>\n Linking Farmers and Improving Quality<\/strong><\/p>\n HortiMAP empowered vendors with vital knowledge on food safety, highlighting how contamination occurs and its potential health impacts on consumers. Through comprehensive capacity-building workshops, they learned essential skills in hygiene, stall management, record keeping, and delivering exceptional customer service.<\/p>\n By embracing these new practices\u2014such as ceasing use of chemicals on fruits and vegetables before sale, packaging products in clean containers, thoroughly cleaning produce before selling, and fostering respectful relationships with customers\u2014they transformed their stalls into clean, trustworthy spaces. This commitment to quality and hygiene attracted a wave of delighted customers, eager to purchase from stalls known for their decent products and friendly service.<\/p>\n Additionally, the training on record keeping empowered these vendors to understand their costs and profits and swiftly address any setbacks or losses. This newfound financial clarity set them on a path toward sustainable growth and improved livelihoods<\/p>\n As a result, the group started collaboration with reputable farmers producing high-quality tomatoes with longer shelf life. They work with farmers who grow high-quality tomatoes with tough skins that don\u2019t get easily bruised. This improved customer satisfaction and reduced the risks associated with transportation and spoilage. For example, in the past, they used motorbikes, called \u201cboda boda,\u201d to transport their boxes of tomatoes. Sometimes, the bad roads caused the boxes to fall and get damaged. They also squeezed the boxes tightly, which bruised the tomatoes and caused losses. Transporting tomatoes this way was expensive and took a lot of time because they had to make many trips.<\/p>\n Innovative Solutions: The Tricycle Infrastructure Grant<\/strong><\/p>\n Recognizing transportation as a critical bottleneck, Muno Mukabi applied for and received an infrastructure grant to procure two tricycles, co-funded with UGX 8,900,000. By September 2024, the group had received these tricycles, which improved their logistics.<\/p>\n The new tricycles drastically reduced transportation costs\u2014from UGX 60,000 (USD 16.4) on motorcycle trips to just UGX 25,000 (USD 6.8) , transporting six boxes per trip. This shift minimized produce damage, saved UGX 7,500 per box, and allowed the group to operate more efficiently.<\/p>\n Transition to Wholesale and Market Expansion<\/strong><\/p>\n With improved logistics and quality, the association transitioned from retailing small quantities to bulk sales. They now purchase a box of tomatoes at UGX 100,000 and sell it at UGX 120,000, earning a weekly profit of UGX 791,500. Their customer base expanded beyond Mbale, reaching markets in Soroti, Lira, Kumi, Budaka, Tororo, and even the Karamoja region.<\/p>\n Generating Income Beyond the Group<\/strong><\/p>\n The benefits extend beyond their direct sales. The association members rent out the tricycles to non-members at UGX 35,000 per trip, generating additional income for the group\u2014up to UGX 60,000 (USD 16) weekly\u2014and saving UGX 1,920,000 (USD 526). This income is reinvested into their businesses.<\/p>\n Overcoming Challenges and Planning Ahead<\/strong><\/p>\n Despite these successes, challenges remain. The limited number of tricycles sometimes causes delays in supply of their products due to high demand for them, and spare parts of the tricycles are costly. The hilly terrain and heavy loads also pose difficulties for the tricycles. Looking ahead, the group aspires to purchase larger vehicle by December 2025 to further streamline operations. They also plan to start offering microloans to members by August 2025, enabling more entrepreneurs to expand their businesses.<\/p>\n A Grateful Reflection<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cOur journey with HortiMAP has transformed us from small-scale retailers to wholesale traders with increased profits. We now manage our families better, improve our living standards, and support each other through tough times,\u201d shared Nambozo Aisha, Vice Chairperson, alongside Busonda Ronald, Group Secretary, and Masaba Siragi, the Group Chairperson.<\/p>\n The Muno Mukabi Tomato Association\u2019s story is a testament to how strategic support, training, and innovative infrastructure can propel small vendors into thriving businesses. From humble beginnings to a robust wholesale operation, their success highlights the power of collective effort and continuous learning\u2014lighting the way for many others in Uganda\u2019s vibrant agricultural markets.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In the bustling Mbale Central Market of Eastern Uganda, a remarkable story of resilience and growth unfolds through the journey of the Muno Mukabi Tomato Association. Founded in 2020 with just 18 members, the group has blossomed into a thriving cooperative of 40 dedicated vendors\u201411 men, 29 women, and 12 energetic youths\u2014united by a common […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2489,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1960","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/amacuegroup.com\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1960","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/amacuegroup.com\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/amacuegroup.com\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amacuegroup.com\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amacuegroup.com\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1960"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/amacuegroup.com\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1960\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2460,"href":"https:\/\/amacuegroup.com\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1960\/revisions\/2460"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amacuegroup.com\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2489"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/amacuegroup.com\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1960"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amacuegroup.com\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1960"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amacuegroup.com\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1960"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}