Bunyoro cereal farmers get boost to raise incomes

MASINDI, August 1, 2026 — Reign Business Development Agency [REBDA], an organisation contracted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries [MAAIF] to implement the National Oil Seed Project [NOSP] in the Bunyoro Sub-region, has partnered with Masindi-based non-profit organisation ENCOT Foundation Limited to boost cereal farming and improve farmers’ incomes.

The partnership agreement was recently signed at the ENCOT Foundation Limited offices in Kijungu Cell, Central Division, Masindi Municipality.

Giles Agamba, an agribusiness development service provider, signed on behalf of REBDA, while Pascal Mandhawun, Chairperson of ENCOT Foundation Limited, signed for ENCOT. Solomon Karuhanga, Executive Director of ENCOT Foundation Limited, witnessed the signing.

According to Agamba, the partnership will help the organisations reach smallholder farmers engaged in cereal and oilseed production, including sunflower, simsim, soybean and groundnuts.

He said NOSP, which will be implemented in Masindi, Kiryandongo, Hoima and Kikuube districts in the Bunyoro Sub-region, has two major components: developing market infrastructure and opening roads to link farmers to various markets.

“The major aim of this partnership is to accelerate the commercialisation of oilseed production so that farmers earn more money through increased production. We are also going to help improve the performance of varieties to make them resilient to drought and diseases,” Agamba said.

He added that the project would also focus on farmer mobilisation and organisation.

Agamba said that under NOSP, and through the partnership, they intend to reach 13,000 smallholder farmers organised into 523 farmer groups across 21 farmer-group clusters selected based on geographical location and proximity.

“We are also going to help farmers add value to their produce so they can earn more,” he said, adding that the initiative would also help farmers access affordable credit on favourable terms from suitable financial institutions.

He explained that the project would link farmers to banks, producer and financial cooperatives, and microfinance institutions, while facilitating negotiations and discussions between the parties.

Agamba further said a multi-stakeholder platform, hosted by ENCOT Foundation Limited, had already been established to give farmers access to agro-input dealers, markets and financial institutions.

“The purpose of our partnership with ENCOT Foundation Limited is to ensure sustainability after the project has expired,” he said.

ENCOT Foundation Limited is currently implementing the Agricultural Value Chains Acceleration Model [AVCAM] project.

AVCAM is designed to connect farmers to markets for their produce, enhance productivity through modern agricultural techniques and support the development of post-harvest infrastructure.

The initiative, which is engaging many farmers in the region, aims to improve the quality of crops such as soybean, simsim, groundnuts and sunflower, enabling farmers to fetch better prices in regional and international markets.

This will be achieved by linking farmers with processors through ICT platforms, providing post-harvest facilities and strengthening seed certification services.

Other key partners that ENCOT Foundation has collaborated with include Mount Meru Millers, Agro Insurance Consortium, Soybean Africa–Makerere University, Masindi District Local Government, Masindi Municipal Council and Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom.

These institutions are expected to support mobilisation efforts aimed at encouraging greater uptake of soybean farming across the region.

In October last year, a cooperative known as the Soybean Farmers Cooperative Society of Uganda (SOFACU) was also formed.

The formation of SOFACU followed the launch of a soybean farmers’ association in June last year. The cooperative’s goal is to give farmers a common voice, improve their access to financing and agricultural inputs, and enable them to market their produce in bulk.

Karuhanga, CEO of ENCOT Foundation, said the organisation would ensure that the partnership was fully implemented for the benefit of farmers.

“We promise to work as per the agreement so that farmers benefit. We are going to further unite farmers into groups and cooperatives, and my appeal to farmers is to stop working in isolation if they are to avoid being exploited,” he advised.

Mandhawun, Chairperson of ENCOT Group and an expert in institutional development at SOFACU, stressed the importance of farmer organisation in achieving economic success.

“Farmers can only benefit fully from their work when they are well organised, use certified seeds, receive quality extension services and access stable markets,” he said.

Mandhawun promised to ensure that farmers receive quality inputs, access good markets, insurance, extension services and affordable loans.

He added that this season, they had invested Shs 5.2 billion in farmers engaged in cereal growing, with Shs15bln earmarked to support farmers next season.

“Farmers who have joined us have already started benefiting from soybean and other cereals. My call to them is to join us and work together,” he advised.

https://thecooperator.news/challenges-hinder-performance-of-national-oil-seed-project/

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