Empowering the Peasant Farmer
The story of Tooke cannot be told without the Ugandan peasant farmer. Their journey begins in the lush, green banana plantations of rural Uganda.
The Banana Value Gap
Despite working tirelessly, up to 40% of their fresh matooke harvest would rot before reaching the market due to its high perishability. Farmers were trapped in a cycle of low farm-gate prices and immense post-harvest losses.
Meanwhile, Uganda was spending heavily on imported wheat flour when it had an abundance of bananas that could serve the same purpose — and do so more nutritiously. BIRDC was created to break both cycles.
Community Processing Units
We source our raw matooke exclusively from local farmers who have been organised into Community Processing Units (CPUs). By purchasing directly from these cooperatives, we bypass exploitative middlemen, ensuring that farmers receive a fair, premium price for their crop.
The CPU model is the foundation of the Tooke supply chain — it guarantees traceability from plantation to packet while creating sustainable economic opportunity for rural communities.
Agronomic Technology Transfer
We do not just buy bananas — we invest in the people who grow them. Through our training facility in Nyaruzinga, we provide farmers with modern, sustainable farming techniques.
A seven-fold increase in yield through modern farming techniques — transforming livelihoods across rural Uganda.
100% Organically Grown
Our partner farmers cultivate their matooke using generations-old organic farming practices. They rely on the natural fertility of the soil, utilising mulching and organic composting rather than harsh chemical fertilisers or pesticides. When you buy a packet of Tooke flour, you are directly supporting sustainable agriculture, environmental conservation, and the economic upliftment of rural communities.
International Farming Partnership
Watch the Director General host a delegation from D.R. Congo at the Kakiri Model Farm.
Support Sustainable Agriculture
Every Tooke product you buy directly empowers Ugandan farmers and supports organic, sustainable agriculture.
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