Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Ronald Acema
Published on 2024-01-31 07:00:13
In 2018, Mr. James Baba, the Member of Parliament for Koboko County, allocated a 4-acre piece of land in Kuniro Parish in Abuku Sub-county for the cultivation of cocoa. The seedlings were provided by ICAM Chocolate Uganda, an Italian-based cocoa-buying company. Mr. Baba explained that he was encouraged to promote cocoa in Koboko and the West Nile Sub-region after receiving approval from the Ministry of Agriculture through the Kawanda Research Station. They confirmed that cocoa could grow in the West Nile region without any issues.
The initiative to introduce cocoa cultivation in the area began in Tabi Village in Dranya Sub-county, where seedlings were distributed to farmers in 2018. Mr. Baba emphasized the need to shift from the traditional production of tobacco and cotton to cocoa cultivation, citing the success of cocoa farmers in Bundibugyo, Mukono, and Mayuge as an example.
Mr. Baba currently has 12 acres of cocoa plantation and made a profit of Shs6 million from last year’s sales. However, unpredictable weather patterns affected the yield. Mr. Silvano Aliga from Idralo Village also shared his success story, stating that he sold 35 kilograms of cocoa earlier this year and earned Shs315,000. He now has 1,360 plants and expects to generate more income from them once they mature.
In Maracha District, Mr. Robinson Ociti, a cocoa farmer from Igamara Parish, highlighted the financial benefits of growing cocoa compared to tobacco. He mentioned that a kilogram of cocoa currently sells for between Shs7,500 and Shs9,000, and that cocoa farming is more profitable and less time-consuming than tobacco farming.
The Kuluba Sub-county Agricultural Officer, Mr. Dominic Buruga, urged more farmers to grow high-value crops like cocoa to improve their livelihoods. According to the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), cocoa is Uganda’s fourth-biggest commodity export after coffee, tea, and fish. It is a perennial crop that thrives in rainy tropical areas.
Overall, the shift to cocoa cultivation in the West Nile Sub-region has shown promising results and has the potential to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in the area.
