By Geoffrey Onyanga
Over 50,000 coffee seedlings have been distributed to the pioneer farmers in Ajuri county, Alebtong district as the area officially introduced the growing of the perennial crops.
The Government Chief Whip Denis Hamson Obua said on Thursday that he is among the 1,000 pioneer farmers with four acres of coffee.
“We would love, wish and optimistic that Alebtong in the near future if all these resources are put in good utilization will join the other people in the country into the money economy,” he said while meeting the media in Lira City.
Late last year Obua who is also Ajuri county Member of Parliament showed willingness to introduce massive coffee growing in the Lango sub region starting with Alebtong.
He asked the sub-county agricultural extension officers to register 1000 farmers willing to take up coffee growing and furnish him with the list.
He said he had delivered on his promise and very soon they will start registering another slots of beneficiaries until all the 617 parishes in the sub region embrace the program.
Coffee is one of the exported commodities, contributing almost a third of foreign exports earnings though the national production is dominated by smallholder coffee farmers.
It’s the main cash crops in Uganda and it is one of the key income sources for many smallholder farmer families.
According to Uganda Coffee Development Authority in the financial year 2021/2022 a total of 6.26 million bags worth US Doller 862.28m were raised compared to 6.08 million bags worth US Dollar 559.16m in 2020/2021. This represents an increase of 3% and 54% in both quality and value respectively.
Generally the crop is grown majorly in the western part of Uganda in the districts of Bushenyi, Ntungamo, Mbarara, Kasese, Ibanda, Rukungiri. They produce the highest quality of coffee.
Other areas include Buwenge, Kamuli, Jinja and Iganga generally located in the Busoga sub region.
President Yoweri Museveni has been preaching the gospel of Wealth Creation in the country with more emphasis on coffee growing, dairy farming and fruits farming as some of vehicle towards alleviating household poverty.
Obua emphasized that with a number of Government programmes geared towards fighting poverty, people will never go wrong in a few years to come.
