By By Business Express Reporter
The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) has launched another boost for Kitgum’s budding coffee sector, handing out 15,000 wilt-resistant seedlings to more than 60 farmers across the district.
The seedlings, expected to cover 33 hectares, are part of a broader government drive to revive Uganda’s coffee industry in the north and strengthen household incomes through commercial farming.
“This is the second phase of distribution,” explained Julius Lakareber, an agricultural extension officer with MAAIF’s coffee department. “Earlier this year, 10,000 seedlings were supplied to 30 farmers. We are confident these new farmers are ready, having already prepared their fields and applied manure. With 450 seedlings per acre, the impact will be significant.”
The government hopes that by empowering farmers with disease-resistant varieties and training, coffee can transform into a reliable source of income in areas where subsistence crops dominate.
For 74-year-old Constantine Odongtoo Odur, the opportunity is personal. Inspired by a neighbor who earned UGX 6 million from just one hectare of coffee last year, Odur has already planted 60 seedlings in his one-hectare field in Laboti Olwonga village, Mucwini Sub-county.
“In three years, I expect my garden to start paying me like his,” Odur said with a smile. “That kind of money will change my life and make me focus more on coffee than other crops.”
Officials believe such testimonies will inspire more smallholders to embrace coffee farming, gradually positioning Kitgum as part of Uganda’s growing coffee belt. With Uganda targeting increased coffee exports to meet global demand, initiatives like this could be the seed of lasting prosperity for rural farmers.
