Inaugural Northern Uganda Farm Festival set for December
GULU CITY, October 1, 2026 — Preparations are in high gear for the inaugural Northern Uganda Farm Festival, which will be hosted by Beatrice Mao and her husband, Norbert Mao, the Laroo-Pece Division Member of Parliament and Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
The festival, themed ‘Seeds of Greatness’, derived from the Acholi phrase Kodi pa Lyeci, will take place on December 11 and 12 at the couple’s Tegot Farm in Loyobo Village, Unyama Subcounty, Gulu district.
The event is expected to bring together farmers, cooperatives, agripreneurs, businesses, creatives, investors, development partners, financial institutions, tourists and university students.
Speaking at the launch of the festival at Tegot Farm on September 25, 2026, Beatrice Mao said the organisers intend to use the event to showcase the new face of Northern Uganda, a region she described as blessed with favourable conditions for agriculture.
Mao said Northern Uganda has been held back by a lack of connections and networks.
“What Northern Uganda has been missing is connection. On the 11th and 12th of December, we are bringing everybody together to tell the world that the Northern Uganda you knew before is not the Northern Uganda you know now.”
According to Mao, festival-goers will pay Shs 20,000 for admission, while traders will pay Shs 200,000 per stall.
Justin Obol Simpleman, the Gulu District LC V chairperson, said the festival is a much-needed innovation that will create employment opportunities for young people, provide a market for farm produce and increase the visibility of Northern Uganda.
“It’s exactly the kind of innovation we want to promote to create jobs for our youth, market our farm produce and give the region visibility. This festival in December is going to bring a lot of people here. Farmers, artists, and people are not only going to come here to eat, dance and maybe enjoy themselves at the end of the year, but there is a lot to learn from here.”
Obol added that the festival’s theme, Kodi pa Lyeci [Seeds of Greatness], reflects Northern Uganda’s journey from conflict to recovery, subsistence farming to commercial agriculture, and cultural heritage to economic opportunities.
“The theme of the festival, Kodi pa Lyeci [Seeds of Greatness], speaks of our journey from war to recovery, from subsistence to commercial farming, and from rich culture to economic opportunities.”
Martin Okumu, the Deputy Prime Minister of Ker Kwaro Acholi in charge of Finance, Planning and Investment, welcomed the initiative, saying it provides a platform to demonstrate to people in Northern Uganda that farming can be a profitable business.
“This is a good opportunity to teach people in Acholi and Northern Uganda at large that farming is a good business and can make a difference, especially in Acholi.”
Okumu said the cultural institution is overwhelmed by cases of land conflicts, which he argued could be reduced if people made productive use of their land.
“The best way to fight for your land is to cultivate. If you have a farm like this, the boundary is clear. Nobody will come and claim a piece of this land because the boundaries are clear with crops and trees.”
He also called on investors to invest in Acholi, saying many local people lack the capital required to develop their land and businesses.
“If someone can invest, why not? We will have to unite with that fellow.”
David Pulkol, the Principal Adviser to the Chief Coordinator at Operation Wealth Creation [OWC], said the initiative would contribute to efforts to expand Uganda’s economy from about US$ 68 billion to US$ 500bln by 2040, as stated by Uganda’s Tenfold Growth Strategy.
“That’s really why we at OWC are determined to work together with the rest of society, the rest of government, to bring those who are still in the subsistence economy, those who are only growing for food, to bring them to the cash economy, so they have supplies to sell.”
Pulkol emphasised the importance of households producing goods and services they can sell if they are to participate meaningfully in the economy.
“All the households must have something to sell. So, that’s the challenge we have. In Acholi, about 78 per cent of the households are not selling anything. They are still outside the economy. They are just watching the money economy. And this is a challenge for us, as OWC, as a government, as leaders.”
Buy your copy of thecooperator magazine from one of our country-wide vending points or an e-copy on emag.thecooperator.news
