Dimintiriya Byobona, a resident of Bugomba village is one of the farmers who have abandoned sugar cane growing in favor of coffee. Byobona owns 31 acres of land, which has been using for sugar cane growing.
561 farmers in Nawampiti Sub County in Luuka district, have abandoned sugar cane growing in favor of coffee. The farmers have already received 500,000 coffee seedlings under the Operation Wealth Creation-OWC program.
They argue that growing coffee would allow him to inter-crop their gardens with food crops for domestic consumption while earning more money for years. Despite being the largest producer of sugar cane, Luuka district is ranked among the most impoverished and food insecure parts in Busoga sub regions.
Dimintiriya Byobona, a resident of Bugomba village is one of the farmers who have abandoned sugar cane growing in favor of coffee. Byobona owns 31 acres of land, which has been using for sugar cane growing.
According to Byobona, she opted for coffee farming after Operation Wealth Creation officials promised to provide him with free seedlings. Byobona says she has started clearing her land for coffee planting.
Awali Sanja Igaga, the Nawampiti Sub County LC 3 Chairman elect, emphasises the need by residents to engage in environmentally friendly agricultural enterprises that will earn them money and allow them to get food as well.
Uganda Coffee Development Authority also supplied 500,000 seedlings to pilot coffee growing in Luuka district. Paul Baboine, the Nakiswiga village LC 1 chairman, says at least 50 farmers in his area received between 100 to 300 coffee seedlings each to plant this year as an alternative to sugarcane.
According to Baboine, many of the farmers will plant the coffee seedlings along food crops, which wasn't possible when they were growing sugar cane. James Magona, the Jinja District Regional Coffee Extension Officer in charge of Buyende, Luuka, Kamuli, Kaliro and Jinja districts explains that there are many benefits a farmer can get by planting coffee compared to other cash crops.
David Ojwang, the Chairman Kakira Out grower's Rural Development Fund-KORD, says prosperous sugarcane farmers are now growing at least two acres of food crops alongside sugarcane. He insists that no cash crop can give farmers more money compared to sugar cane. A ton of cane goes for Shillings 91,000.
An acre of land yields 40 tons, which fetches close to Shillings 4 Million within 18 months compared to coffee that takes two and a half years and fetches about Shillings 2.8 million. Colonel Oguli Dhamuzungu, the OWC Manager for Busoga sub region, says government will provide more seedlings to farmers in Luuka and other parts of Busoga sub region who were capable of handling the crop.
Aldon Walukamba
Freelancer