Eastern Uganda moves to revive cotton farming

Cotton was once eastern Uganda’s “white gold”, providing a dependable source of income for thousands of households and driving commerce across the region.

Today, however, the once-familiar sight of cotton fields stretching across districts such as Mbale, Bukedea, Pallisa and Kumi is becoming increasingly rare as farmers turn to food and alternative cash crops.

According to the Uganda Cotton Development Organisation (CDO), cotton production in eastern Uganda has declined by about 40 percent over the past decade.

Farmers and other stakeholders…