Our Story
Jesca's Experience
Growing up in a family that treasured and depended on livestock farming in Uganda, I witnessed firsthand the struggles faced by families that rely on livestock farming, especially the rising cost of livestock feed. These costs eventually pushed my family to leave livestock farming, affecting our livelihoods because it was our only source of income.
As the firstborn, this affected me deeply. I had to drop out of school to find a way to support my siblings’ education. After leaving school, I chose not to sit back at home. I realized that I could not easily get a job in the corporate world because I did not have the qualifications or experience, so I chose to keep learning through practical agriculture training and social entrepreneurship programmes, starting with the Social Innovation Academy.
The Birth of the Idea
In 2022, I started Farmplus Agrovets Uganda Limited with a simple question: *What if the resources around me, such as insects and organic waste, could become affordable solutions to the challenges farmers face?*
Today, Farmplus uses organic food waste to rear Black Soldier Fly larvae and produces affordable, protein-rich livestock feed supplements for farmers. The by-products from our production process are decomposed by the larvae (maggots) and transformed into organic fertilizer, which we sell back to farmers as an alternative to synthetic fertilizers. This creates a circular model where waste becomes a valuable resource.
The Evolution of Farmplus
For me, Farmplus is more than a business. It is about making livestock farming more affordable, protecting the environment, and creating opportunities for women and young people.
My journey has taught me that you do not need to have everything figured out to start. You need to see a problem, believe there is a better way, and be willing to keep learning and building.
I am building Farmplus because I believe the future of agriculture can be *more affordable, circular, and inclusive, and farmers themselves should be at the centre of that future.*
The Growth of Farmplus
To date, Farmplus has reached more than 8,500 livestock farmers, helped farmers reduce feed costs by up to 30%, converted over 1,000 tonnes of organic waste into productive inputs, directly engaged over 10 people in employment, and trained 55 women and young people in sustainable entrepreneurship.
Today, Farmplus is scaling production from about 1 tonne per month to 8–10 tonnes per month within the next 24 months, with plans to expand into aquaculture and other livestock value chains. What began as a local response to high feed costs is now evolving into a leading insect-based feed solution aimed at strengthening feed security, environmental sustainability, and rural livelihoods across Africa.
