GULU – Uganda Coffee Development Authority [UCDA] has started the distribution of coffee seedlings to farmers in Northern Uganda.
The Acholi Sub-region extension officer for UCDA, Wilfred Oyella disclosed the development on Monday in a brief interview with this reporter.
She said at least 4 million seedlings have been procured for supplies to farmers in the districts across Acholi and Lango sub-regions. “The distribution kicked off on Monday beginning with Amuru district.”
Oyella said UCDA has a lot of requests for the seedlings, with Omoro district having 754 farmers while more 250 farmers from Gulu need the seedlings.
She further noted that coffee production in the region was suspended when the government introduced the Parish Development Programme where money from agencies was instead budgeted under the PDM, which has coffee as one of the key enterprises that farmers can choose.
“The farmers would be getting seedlings under the PDM but the programme still has some challenges. This is why we asked the government to allow us to continue giving seedlings to farmers,” Oyella added.
She added that the Ministry of Finance released the money for the procurement and supply of the coffee seedlings in March this year.
Meanwhile, Gulu City authorities have also launched a massive campaign for coffee growing in the per-urban areas, setting up a demonstration site in each village.
The city mayor, Alfred Okwonga revealed that each cell/village in the city will receive at least 20 seedlings for a demonstration farm where the community members can go and learn best practices of coffee growing.
“We realised that only 2 percent of our farmers know how to plant coffee but here they will be learning the best practices of coffee production,” Okwonga told this reporter.
Michael Opira, a councilor for Patuda Ward in Gulu West Division noted he has a backyard at his home where the surrounding communities can come and learn the different aspects of managing a coffee farm.
Meanwhile, UCDA in its report for March said demand for coffee planting materials is still overwhelming for March- May 2023 planting season. “There is however no budget for plant material due to Government’s change of strategy to providing coffee seedlings to farmers through the Parish Development Model.”
https://thecooperator.news/ucda-to-establish-a-shs-1-billion-coffee-learning-hub-at-must/
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