KITGUM, October 1, 2026 — Mucwini Coffee Growers Cooperative Society in Mucwini Subcounty, Kitgum district, has received a walking tractor from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries [MAAIF].
The cooperative, which has more than 200 members, was recently selected as one of the best-performing farmer groups in the district.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Kitgum District Production Officer [DPO] Denis Ocira said the cooperative was selected because of its commitment to farming, which earned it the walking tractor.
Ocira said the tractor is highly fuel-efficient, noting that one litre of fuel can plough up to four hectares of land, which he said would greatly benefit the farmers.
He explained that the tractor is primarily intended for cooperative members, who will be charged a small fee to plough their gardens, while non-members will access the service at a subsidised rate. The money collected will be used to maintain the tractor.
Ocira added that the district will organise training for two members of the cooperative on how to operate the tractor, which was supplied with a full package of accessories.
He cautioned the group against using private mechanics and advised them to report any mechanical faults to the district authorities.
Kitgum Deputy Resident District Commissioner Walter Komakech Oyo said President Yoweri Museveni has consistently urged Ugandans to move away from subsistence farming and embrace commercial agriculture.
He said the tractor would help farmers make that transition.
Oyo called on the cooperative members to put the tractor to proper use and ensure that non-members also benefit from the service.
Kitgum District Vice Chairperson Smith Opon urged the farmers to use the tractor as a tool to fight poverty and hunger in their households.
Opon also advised the cooperative to diversify beyond coffee growing and embrace food crops such as maize for both household consumption and commercial purposes to enhance food security.
The Vice Chairperson of Mucwini Coffee Growers Cooperative Society, George Obalim, thanked MAAIF and Kitgum District Local Government for selecting the cooperative to benefit from the tractor.
Obalim said acquiring a tractor had been a long-standing dream for the cooperative and pledged that the members would put it to proper use and ensure it serves its intended purpose.
However, he said the cooperative’s major challenge was the lack of a greenhouse for raising and keeping coffee seedlings.
He said the cooperative’s ambition was to begin supplying coffee seedlings across Northern Uganda and appealed to government to support it with a greenhouse.
The walking tractor was lobbied for by the State Minister for Disaster Preparedness, Refugees and Relief and Kitgum Woman Member of Parliament, Lillian Aber.
Another walking tractor was also donated to the Alliance for Sustainable Development farmers’ group in Orom Subcounty.
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