How Alito Joint Cooperative became a soybean seed powerhouse in N. Uganda
Founded in 1998 by five members, the cooperative now boasts 16,815 members spread across Lango, Acholi and parts of Karamoja sub-regions
KOLE, December 19, 2025 — Alito Joint Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited, located in Kole district, has grown from a small farmers’ group into one of Northern Uganda’s most trusted sources of quality soybean seed.
Founded in 1998 by five members, the cooperative now boasts 16,815 members spread across Lango, Acholi and parts of Karamoja sub-regions.
The cooperative is based at Awilo village, Lwala Parish, Okwerodot Sub-county, and employs 14 staff.
According to the chairperson, Rev. John Christopher Okwang, Alito Joint’s success is largely anchored in quality soybean seed production, its main value chain.
The cooperative harvests more than 200 tonnes of soybean seed annually, earning about Shs 500 million a year.
“When we started, we could only harvest about 1,000 kilos of grain, which we bulked and sold to the Uganda Oilseed Producers Association [UOSPA],” Okwang said.
To scale up production, the cooperative ventured into seed multiplication for sunflower and beans. In 2004, UOSPA trained farmers in group dynamics, encouraging collective production and marketing.
“That training helped our membership grow from five to 58 farmers within a year,” Okwang said.
The establishment of an oil mill by Mukwano Industries in Lira district in 2004 marked another turning point.
“They provided agronomy training, post-harvest handling skills and a ready market for sunflower,” Okwang said.
Later, the Food and Agriculture Organisation [FAO] supported oilseed production through a competitive programme, in which Alito Joint emerged best and received a sunflower milling machine.
In 2009, the cooperative received further support from the United States Agency for International Development [USAID], which constructed a 120-tonne storage facility and provided a motorcycle and computer.
In 2013, International Seed Development trained cooperatives in seed production, enabling Alito Joint to scale up soybean seed multiplication.
The cooperative sources foundation seed from Makerere University and sells it to farmers at Shs 8,000 per kilo during the first planting season.
According to Emmanuel Obedigum, the monitoring and evaluation officer, farmers plant about 20kg of seed per acre.
Yields range between 700kg and 1,000kg per acre, with the cooperative buying the produce at a fixed price of Shs 3,000 per kilo.
“At that rate, a farmer earns between Shs 2.1mln and Shs 3mln per season,” Obedigum said.
Soybean remains the cooperative’s main crop after the sunflower milling machine broke down, forcing reduced sunflower production.
Alito Joint sells grain to farmers, NGOs and government agencies at Shs 6,000 per kilo.
Although cross-border trade is not yet formalised, farmers from Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda regularly buy seed from the cooperative.
“Earlier this year, farmers from Kenya bought 200 kilos while those from Rwanda purchased 500kg of soybean seed,” Obedigum said.
The cooperative has also hosted learning visits from farmers in Malawi and Somalia.
Members access production loans at an interest rate of 3 percent per month to support planting, weeding and post-harvest needs. Loan recovery is done when farmers sell their produce to the cooperative.
The cooperative employs six extension officers who train farmers in agronomy, quality assurance and post-harvest handling.
The cooperative has three main stores with a combined capacity of 200 tonnes, as well as 16 satellite stores serving 309 farmer groups.
However, increased production has strained storage facilities, especially when farmers bulk maize while waiting for better prices.
Okwang said the cooperative protects farmers from exploitative middlemen by offering short-term financial support when farmers face urgent needs.
Molly Akullo, a farmer and widow, said the cooperative transformed her livelihood.
“Before joining, I harvested less than 500kg of soybean. Now I get up to 1,000kg and can pay school fees for my children,” she said.
Esther Apwot, a pioneer member, said she now specialises in soybean seed multiplication and recently harvested 2,000kg, which she sold to the cooperative.
The cooperative owns one tractor and two threshers. Ploughing costs between Shs 80,000 and sShs 90,000 per acre, while threshing costs Shs 10,000 per bag.
Farmers are encouraged to thresh crops in the garden and use tarpaulins to improve soil fertility and reduce aflatoxin contamination.
In addition, the cooperative hosts students from Makerere, Busitema and other universities for hands-on agricultural training.
Key challenges include limited staffing, inadequate finance, low mechanisation, climate change and reliance on selling raw grain.
The cooperative plans to expand membership to 20,000 within two years and invest in value addition, particularly oil processing.
“Selling raw grain does not give farmers the returns they deserve. Value addition is our next focus,” Obedigum said.
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