Africa-Press – Uganda. Political and cultural leaders in Lango have embarked on mobilising farmers to abandon cotton for coffee.
This is because years of growing cotton have failed to get the people in the sub-region out of poverty.
Cotton production in northern Uganda, especially in Lango and Acholi, has been declining mainly due to unstable prices, poor yields, lack of inputs, and land fragmentation.
Mr Maxwell Akora, the chairperson of Lango Cooperative Union and also Maruzi County Member of Parliament, said there is a need for farmers to embrace coffee growing since cotton failed to uplift people from extreme poverty.
“In March, we had a representative from Uganda Coffee Development Authority here because they are introducing coffee in northern Uganda,” Mr Akora told journalists in Lira City on June 13.
“The only problem was that it was late for this season, otherwise we have already got forms to give farmers so that they can receive seedlings from Uganda Coffee Development Authority for planting in the next season,” he added.
According to the legislator, cotton production has declined in northern Uganda and is also not profitable even on the world market since its prices keep fluctuating compared to other perennial crops such as coffee.
“Each board member [of Lango Cooperative Union] was given forms to take to all the nine districts in Lango. So, we will be popularising coffee and other high value cash crops such as Hass avocado, cashew nuts and macadamia to replace cotton,” Mr Akora said.
“I don’t think Lango will go back to cotton. We are not discouraging cotton production but as Lango Cooperative Union, we will not trade in cotton because we burnt our fingers with cotton, which led to the collapse of the Union in 2012.
Mr Tonny Ogwal, the Union’s vice chairperson, said: “The challenge we have is the mindset of our people. Changing their mindsets from cotton growing to the new kind of products will not be easy.”
While addressing mourners during the burial of former Oyam MP Charles Engola Macodwogo in Awangi Village, Iceme Sub-county, on May 13, Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo asked the government to introduce coffee to the farmers in northern Uganda in memory of the deceased.
“I am addressing this to leaders from northern Uganda. Let us foot our axes together. Northern Uganda is the poorest part of the country today, I think followed by eastern. I might be wrong in the order. Why? Because we are stuck in the colonial economy,” he said.
“The economy that was introduced by Governor KEB (Kristen Eskildsen Borup) – the cotton economy, the tobacco economy. Now there is even a worrying trend. That type of economy – the simsim economy, sunflower economy and I forget the other one which people say ‘Oh, I made Shs900,000!” he added.
Bakocol clan chief Santo Ongodo also urged his members to start engaging in massive coffee growing if they are to educate their children and live a better life.
“Clan leaders should spread this gospel to our people so that as a clan we can get out of extreme poverty,” he said during a clan meeting at his home in Atodi Cell, Lira City, on June 17.
Trend
The current poverty levels in Lango are alarming. In Otuke, for instance, 7,334 households representing 33.4 percent of the population had members aged 5 years and above that consumed less than two meals a day, according to the 2014 National Population and Housing Census.
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