MADI OKOLLO RESIDENTS RALLIED TO EMBRACE HIGH VALUE CASH CROPS.
By Victor Andama,
Farmers in Madi Okollo District have been urged to alleviate poverty by venturing in high value crops like coffee and cocoa.
Issac Chadri Adyeri, a member of the Madi Okollo District Farmers Association, (MADIFA) made the remarks while meeting farmers of Offaka sub county, at the sub county headquarters on Monday 30th March 2026.
Chadri said by venturing in coffee and cocoa, farmers will alleviate poverty and improve their economic status.
“As all of us are aware, Madi Okollo is among the few districts in Uganda with vast arable land so far, which still remains underutilized, this can be put to better use for strategic enterprises such as coffee, cocoa, apiculture, tree planting, among other enterprises,” Adyer said.
Victor Wadri, a soil scientist working in Muni University on his part stressed the need to form cooperatives in order to decisively eliminate middlemen.
While breaking down the benefit of the cash crop, Wadri said under ideal conditions and following good agronomic practices, one coffee plant yields between 2-5kg and an acre requires 1,600 seedlings with a spacing of 2.5 mmetres. Considering low yield, an acre generates 3,200 coffee beans (Asele), a farmer is able to get up to Ugx 40 million per year.
While interacting with some of the farmers, Mr. Anyarumva Joshua, from Elibu Parish highly welcomed the move saying for long time they have been relying on crops such as tobacco and cotton which they do not earn much money from.
Vakindu Celine, a single mother from Adraa Parish, also said she will collectively work with her four children to grow coffee which she believes will help them after two and half years.
‘I don’t have problem with labour force because my children have grown up. No need to spend money to hire labour from elsewhere,” Vakindu said.’
Charles Etoma, the Regional Agriculture Officer in charge of coffee said the Ministry Of Agriculture Animal Industries And Fisheries (MAAIF) plans to distribute Arabica and colonial coffee wilt disease resistant (CWDR) robust seedlings, adding that Arabica shall be for Nebbi, Zombo, Arua District, Moyo and Madi Okollo while Robusta shall be tried in districts which include; Arua city, Maracha, Koboko, Yumbe, Terego and Obongi, saying every individual at household level should be involved to transform the economy.
“There is need for the involvement of every generation (the young and the old) and both men and women,” He stressed.
Currently, farmers in the district are preparing their gardens to plant the first season crops.
END.