At only 24 years old, Emmanuel Ssemyalo is among a growing number of young farmers in Ssembabule District determined to build a future through agriculture despite increasing challenges affecting smallholder farming.
Living in Buyongo Village, Kayunga Parish in Mateete Subcounty, Emmanuel joined Ssuubi Village Cooperative in 2025 after years of struggling with low agricultural productivity. Like many farmers in the area, he faced multiple barriers that made farming increasingly difficult and unpredictable. Counterfeit agro-inputs, frequent pest and disease attacks, limited finances to invest in quality farming inputs, and changing weather patterns all combined to affect his productivity and income. As a result, Emmanuel often harvested poorly despite investing significant effort in his farming activities.
His situation began to change after joining Ssuubi Village Cooperative and connecting with COSMA Sustainable rural Development.
In a demonstration of commitment to collective learning and farmer inclusion, he voluntarily provided half an acre of his land to serve as a maize demonstration plot for the cooperative and COSMA’s extension activities. The demonstration site is expected to help other farmers observe and learn improved farming practices firsthand, creating opportunities for wider community adoption of climate-smart agriculture.
His willingness to contribute land for community learning reflects community philanthropy and the growing role that Village Cooperatives are playing not only in improving productivity, but also in fostering participation, peer learning, and inclusion among farmers.
For Emmanuel, the village cooperative represents more than access to agricultural inputs. It offers a platform for knowledge-sharing, collective problem-solving, and hope for young farmers navigating increasingly difficult farming conditions. His story highlights the importance of equipping rural youth with practical agricultural support systems, trusted inputs, and opportunities to actively participate in community transformation.
As climate variability and production challenges continue to affect smallholder farmers, cooperative-based and climate-smart agricultural approaches are helping young farmers like Emmanuel build confidence, resilience, and renewed optimism in agriculture.
