Local project launches distribution of 200,000 shea seedlings in northern Uganda
OTUKE, September 25, 2026 — Okere Community Development Project, also known as Okere City, in Otuke district, has launched a shea tree restoration project targeting the northern Ugandan subregions Lango, Acholi and Teso in eastern Uganda, with plans to raise and distribute 200,000 shea seedlings.
According to Ojok Okello, Chief Executive Officer of Okere City Shea Butter Cooperative Society Ltd., the cooperative has so far raised 100,000 seedlings ready for distribution.
He said the initiative is a major environmental restoration project aimed at increasing the shea tree population across the three sub-regions while supporting farming communities that depend on shea products.
According to the National Environment Management Authority [NEMA], Otuke district lost more than 80 per cent of its shea tree cover between 2000 and 2020, largely due to illegal charcoal burning and the increasing demand for agricultural land.
Shea wood [Vitellaria paradoxa] has a high calorific value and produces long-burning charcoal, making the species a target for illegal logging despite being legally protected.
Speaking to the media on September 22 at Pacific Grand Hotel in Lira City, Okello said the cooperative’s initiative was intended to respond to the rapid depletion of indigenous shea trees amid growing global demand for shea products.
He said the project will support the regeneration of shea trees at a cost of Shs 2,000 per seedling, while promoting the protection of their natural growth cycles and preserving their environmental and economic value.
Okello said global demand for shea products had increased significantly, rising by about 600 per cent over the past decade.
He added that the initiative would also address the long waiting period before shea trees mature and begin producing fruit.
Through partnerships supporting carbon-credit prepayments, Okello said farmers would receive financial support upfront to help sustain their livelihoods while the trees mature.
According to Okello, indigenous Nilotica shea trees, whether naturally occurring or planted, can take up to 10 years to mature and reach full fruit production.
He said Okere City had already established the necessary infrastructure and market arrangements to ensure farmers have a reliable buyer once their trees begin producing shea nuts.
The initiative is expected to contribute to environmental conservation while creating a long-term source of income for farming communities across Lango, Acholi and Teso subregions.
The project combines environmental restoration with economic empowerment, with organisers hoping that expanding shea tree numbers will help protect the region’s natural resources while providing farmers with a sustainable source of income for future generations.
Florence Otongo of Can Omia Diro Women Group welcomed the initiative, describing it as the first of its kind in the region and saying it could help restore depleted shea tree populations, particularly in Otuke district.
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