Serere cooperative to boost oil seed production

SERERE – Igola III Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited in Serere district intends to produce more oil seeds with the hope that it will improve the welfare of its members.

The cooperative which started last year with 60 founder members has seen the number grow to 250 members, each paying Shs 15,000 membership fee.

Through oil seed production, the cooperative aims at helping 1, 500 farmers transform from subsistence farming to commercial farming.

The oil seeds selected for production are; sunflower, soybeans, simsim, and groundnuts.

John Michael Odeke, the chairperson Igola III Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited while talking to this reporter days ago urged more farmers in the district to join the cooperative, saying they will enjoy economies of scale.

“I encourage farmers to join the cooperative so that we can have a strong bargaining power,” said Odeke

He also said that the cooperative’s projection is to increase household incomes through good agricultural practices, and securing clean seeds for planting.

Odeke said a kilo of simsim [Sesame] seeds goes for Shs10,000, soya [Shs 8,000], and sunflower [ 10,000] per kilo.

Meanwhile, David Enoku, the cooperative’s chairperson for finance said they also intend to grow cassava to boost food security and to increase household incomes.

“We are also looking at growing cassava because it is one of the staple foods grown in Teso Sub-region to fight hunger,” Enoku said.

However, Enoku told this reporter the cooperative faces the challenge of lack of a bulking centre, appealing to government support them in constructing the facility.

Currently, the cooperative’s officials said the oil seeds are being grown on 2,500 acres owned by individual members.

Vincent Ogiro, the district production and marketing officer, Serere district said most of the farmers in the area are embracing oil seed farming.

He encouraged the farmers to join cooperatives, saying cooperatives have greater bargaining power when it comes to marketing the members’ produce.

Over the years, the government in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development [IFAD] has been implementing the Vegetable Oil Development Project [VODP] with the objective of increasing household income by increasing domestic vegetable oil production.

https://thecooperator.news/alito-cooperative-asks-lango-farmers-to-grow-more-oil-seeds/

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