Salim Saleh, the OWC Commander greeting the Bishop of Diocese of Northern Uganda, Bishop Godfrey Loum during the stakeholders engagement meeting at Bomah Hotel in Gulu city. Photos by Walter Okot
By Walter Okot
Gulu: The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, (MAAIF) in partnership with Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) is set to distribute 600,000 coffee seedlings to coffee farmers in the Lango and Acholi Sub-regions.
In 2022, the government scrapped the free distribution of coffee seedlings to farmers under Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), and the money was consolidated into the Parish Development Model (PDM) project.
However, during a stakeholders meeting organized by the Presidential CEO Forum in partnership with UCDA, farmers in Acholi and Lango requested affirmative action for free coffee seedlings.
Gen. (Rtd). Caleb Akandwanaho alias Salim Saleh, the Chief Coordinator of OWC, said they stopped the free distribution of coffee seedlings to farmers in 2022 following a letter from the President, and the money was channeled to fund PDM.
The decision, he said, followed a study by Mbarara University, which showed that farmers did not want seedlings, but money to finance enterprises of their choice.
Saleh therefore asked the Minister of State for Agriculture, Fred Bwino Kyakulaga, to get coffee seedlings on credit from nursery bed operators and distribute them free of charge to the coffee farmers in the Acholi and Lango sub-regions.
Bwino commended farmers in Acholi and Lango Sub-regions for embracing coffee farming as advised by the president.
He argued that much as there is a policy shift explained by the OWC coordinator, northern Uganda will be treated as a special case given the high demand for coffee seedlings.
Bwino pledged that the government would mobilize and negotiate with nursery bed operators in the region to supply coffee seedlings to farmers on credit, after getting assurance that the government would pay.
However, Dr. Gerald Kyalo, the director of development service at UCDA said for the nursery bed operators to give seedlings on credit, the ministry of Agriculture should make clear communication that the suppliers of seedlings would be paid within the stipulated time.
Kyalo revealed that UCDA still owes the nursery operators in Uganda shs49b for supplying coffee seedlings for three years.
On September 20, 2022, the cabinet directed that the nursery bed operators would be paid in the financial years 2023/2024 and 2024/2025, but no money has been released to date.
Kyalo said UCDA does not have a budget for purchasing coffee seedlings but is supporting farmers with value addition in the form of wet mills and pulpers that contribute to processing coffee.
He acknowledged that the demand for coffee seedlings is extremely high in northern Uganda, meaning the government should continue supporting the coffee enterprise by providing seedlings.
Kyalo revealed that they want to promote coffee in northern Uganda as a commercial enterprise, because it has the potential to lift people out of poverty, given the vast land in the region.
“In the coffee roadmap, we have the target to achieve 20 million bags by 2030 and one of the areas that can help us achieve this is northern Uganda,” Kyalo said.
Farmers request support.
Coffee farmers of Paidongo Coffee Cooperative Society in Wii Lacic village, Paidongo Parish in Bobi sub-county, Omoro district have requested the government to provide them with 65,000 coffee seedlings.
The cooperative, which started coffee farming 10 years ago, registered as a cooperative society in 2023 with 45 members. They currently have 2500 acres with 130 for coffee production.
George Kinyera Candano, the chairperson of the cooperative society, said that they have 130 acres of land cleared and ready for coffee planting.
Cardano also requested 14,950 banana suckers and 39,000 shade trees in the coffee garden.
“We request the government to support us with planting materials and soft loans so that we can invest in coffee growing and pay back when we start harvesting coffee.”
Bishop Godfrey Loum, the bishop of the diocese of northern Uganda said he has 126 acres of land for planting coffee seedlings, and 10 acres have already been well prepared for planting.
Loum revealed that besides his dream of becoming a commercial coffee farmer, he also wants to establish a coffee nursery bed for coffee seedlings in the diocese to support other farmers.
Coffee seedlings under OWC
Brig. Col. Francis Acoka, the coordinator OWC Acoli sub-region, said they distributed 48,499,757 coffee seedlings in the last 10 years in Acholi Sub-region. However, most of these coffee seedlings dried up as farmers refused to plant them, while others died of harsh weather.
Acoka said although at first OWC was blamed for introducing coffee, which had never been planted in northern Uganda, many people embraced it after constant mobilization.
“We went through Uganda Prison Service where we planted 150 acres of coffee in Lututuru Prison Farm in Lamwo district which is doing well,” Acoka said.
Tanks a lot for the troubles you are trying to sove for Ugandas i a bid to eliminate poverty from our people. However l to would like to meet Hon. TRD Major General Celeb Akadwanoho for support in my Agricultural career. Am also a retired Primary School Teacher who wise to widden my Agricultural base to a meaningful profit career. We hear the Government give out money for support to people but wr / l have never seen wher it is given out from neither have seenany one who has got it this money. So l needa financial help. ForGod and My Country.