After a twelvemonth of COVID , the Ugandan gardening is recovering from the pandemic . Olav Boenders , part - possessor of cutting farm Wagagai in Uganda , tell the demand for their plant - cuttings has increased to their maximum production ability . Additionally , despite the challenge posed by the pandemic , many lesson have been learned as well , evidence that the pandemic has actually had several cocksure influences on their caller .
( All photos byAndrew Kartende )
Lockdown - a ambitious timeOn April 1 2020 , Uganda blend in into complete lockdown , which intend a curfew and no walker movement . For Wagagai , this meant extemporisation as well . " Our 36 ha greenhouse employs 2,300 people , 98 % of whom live on within a wheel spoke of 5 km and walk to the farm every sidereal day . Not having workers at our farm , even though it was low season , was not an choice as plants just always need attention and aid . Therefore , we decided to allow 500 workers stay over at the farm , supply them will all necessary and take temperature check double a day , and we made certain to obey all rules regarding sanitization and social distancing , " Boenders add together . Click here to read more on last year ’s lockdown at the farm .
Video recapping 2020 . " A yr to remember "
increase demand because of COVIDIt was a challenging metre , but fortuitously , the COVID cases at the farm were minimal and they managed to keep going . “ We are very fortunate to be doing so well in the horticultural patronage , compared to many other areas of byplay , like touristry , for example , " Boenders says . Throughout the previous class , Wagagai was able to keep production , observe all employee and continue to pay their pay . “ Despite having lose some of our cuttings and therefore our profits of last twelvemonth , we really can not complain . Not only were we in our low season , have in mind that we kept our loss of the old yr at a minimum , our current demand has increased majorly . "
increase productiveness and better salariesBecause of the current billet they have noticed that their employee are extremely thankful to have a job during these unsettled time . “ This actually direct to more efficiency , as the employees cultivate harder . With a 10 % declination in employee , which is the normal resignation rate , we luckily did not have to fire anyone , we were still able to bring out the common amount of cuttings , " Boenders explain . Because of the increased productivity , Wagagai was able to provide higher pay even during 2020 . In improver , they are currently under Union negotiations for an improved CBA , with a further salary rise .
Poinsettia cuttings
Lessons larn from COVIDThey have also find out some valuable lessons from the COVID-19 period and the lockdown . For example , the amount of travel that the owners did between Uganda and their home state in Europa can be severely slenderize . " I used to travel back and forth between the Netherlands and Uganda about eight to ten prison term a twelvemonth . When traveling was not a hypothesis any longer , we found that the local direction team did an incredible line at keeping the company move and a good deal of get together can be done online . Therefore , our goal is now to reduce our travels to about three to four time a year , so we can shape in a more environmentally well-disposed and cost - effective mode , while also handing over even more responsibilities to the local direction . This has always been a primal goal anyway of the owners of Wagagai , COVID has just help to bucket along up this transition . Hence our slogan : Wagagai , The place to produce together . "
middling wages and sustainability in the futureAn aspect of the pandemic that has been , and still is , particularly gainsay for the company is the sudden rise of the prices of raw stuff . " For deterrent example , coco peat from India has become 50 % more expensive due to transportation number and availability of bare-ass fabric . It is not usual to have cost rise so much so quickly . " Of naturally , the company hopes this is a impermanent increase , but the increase cost do direct to an increase cost . " Fortunately , because of the pandemic , consumers are more interested in plants and unforced to pay more for them , but I hope consumers remain uncoerced to make up more in the future . ” And he trust that ’s possible . “ consumer need products that are produced in a fairish style and our industry needs to educate them that a slight increase in price for the conclusion production is necessary . In this agency , we can work on allow even more bonny earnings and more sustainability in the long term , " Boenders adds .
He is hoping that the world-wide COVID crisis will teach us all that things have to be done unlike , this includes look at innovative ways how we can include the special costs for fair wages and complete sustainability in the cut-rate sale price . " The key here is to show that the special costs to achieve this are comparatively small and that we are not talk about very big increase . So , let ’s use this crisis to regain new ways of doing byplay that are more inclusive of the decisive constituent fair payoff and sustainability , if the whole Industry cover that , it must be possible . "
For more info : WagagaiOlav BoendersEmail:[email protected]www.wagagai.com
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