Chief Whip Obua on campaign to extend coffee growing in Lango Sub-region
ALEBTONG – At least 300 farmers in Alebtong district are to be mobilised to embrace coffee growing in a move to extend the production of the perennial crop in Lango Sub-region, according to Government Chief Whip Denis Hamson Obua.
Lango Sub-region, better known for cotton production as well as production of other oil seeds such as soybean, and sunflower sim, also grows food crops like millet, cassava, maize, and sorghum, among others.
However, according to Obua the coffee growing project in Alebtong district is to kick off in January next year starting with Ajuri County.
Coffee is one of Uganda’s export commodities, contributing almost a third of foreign export earnings, though the national production is dominated by smallholder farmers.
According to Uganda Coffee Development Authority [UCDA] in the financial year 2021/2022 a total of 6.26 million bags worth US$ 862.28mln were raised compared to 6.08mln bags worth US$559.16mln in 2020/2021. This represents an increase of 3 percent and 54 percent in both quality and value respectively.
Generally, coffee is grown mainly in the western Uganda districts of Bushenyi, Ntungamo, Mbarara, Kasese, Ibanda, and Rukungiri.
Other areas that grow the cash crop include Buwenge, Kamuli, Jinja, and Iganga generally located in the Busoga Sub-region. Elgon Sub-region districts such as Bududa, Kapchorwa, Bulambuli, Sironko, and West Nile districts such as Zombo and Yumbe also grow coffee.
Addressing mourners at Amindit village in Abako Sub-county at the recent burial of Jasper Okello, a former staff of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Obua said there is need to extend the growing of the perennial crop in Lango Sub-region whose main cash crop was cotton produced and delivered to Lango Cooperative Union.
He urged farmers to start registering with the sub-county agricultural extension officers in preparation to receive coffee seedlings for planting early next year.
“We shall start as a pilot project by registering 10 farmers per parish, train them and distribute the seedlings,” Obua said.
Currently, Uganda produces both Arabica and Robusta coffee types. In 2017, President Museveni launched the Coffee Roadmap which projected then that the country would produce 20mln bags of coffee by 2025-2030.
Uganda’s export earnings, according to the same roadmap would shoot to US$1.5-2.2 billion, while 1.5 mln households would have improved livelihoods.
Government also in the same coffee roadmap pledged to strengthen farmer organisations and producer cooperatives to enhance commercialisation for smallholder farmers and ensure broad access to extension services, inputs, finance, and aggregation.
Under the coffee road, coffee yields would also improve with 20 percent expansion in production land as government builds demand through country-to-country deals, especially with China and other countries.
https://thecooperator.news/quality-assurance-coffee-farmers-promised-33-percent-bonus/
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