Father Mathew Okun Lagoro, the Chairperson Acholi Bur Parish disclosed that because of the short life span of the cassavas they were forced to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Bukoona Agro Processing Industry Limited on May 5th 2019 to buy the cassavas before it rots in the garden.
A total of 6900 farmers in Pader district under
the Acholi Bur Parish Project (APP) are struggling to find market for their
cassava due to market scarcity. The farmers are drawn from Lapul,
Latanya, Acholi Bur and Pajule Sub Counties, all under the Acholi Bur Parish
Project in Gulu Archdiocese.
The farmers received cassava cuttings of Naro Cas 14, and 19 and Nasa 1 varieties in 2017 under the Operation
Wealth Creation (OWC) following a request to President Yoweri Museveni by the
Bishop of Gulu Archdiocese, John Baptist Odama.
The project was meant to enhance
the reduction of poverty and famine among residents and boost their household
incomes. The cassava has since matured, but there is no market for the
estimated 7000 acres produced.
Vincent Okot Obuttu, the Chairperson Cooperative Society
Acholi Bur Cassava, says that 7000 of his members are stranded without market
for their output.
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planted…
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He urges government to help find market for the farmers to
prevent them from being exploited by middlemen.
Cosmas
Nyeko, the Coordinator Acholi Bur Parish Project, says government should source
market for the farmers and set uniform prices for their output.
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factory.”//
Father Mathew Okun Lagoro, the Chairperson Acholi Bur Parish disclosed
that because of the short life span of the cassavas they were forced to sign a
Memorandum of Understanding with Bukoona Agro Processing Industry Limited on
May 5th 2019 to buy the cassavas before it rots in the garden.
The Industry is based in Koch Goma Sub County in Nwoya
district and plans to start producing methanol and sugar this year.
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challenges the…
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processors limited.”//
The cassava plantations have gone beyond their fifteen months
life span raising fears among farmers.
Pravin Kekhal, the Director Bukoona
Industry, says they agreed to buy the cassava from the farmers as raw material
after negotiating with the diocese.
He says they will buy a kilogram of
dried cassava Shillings 500 and fresh Shillings 175.
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cassava.”//
Susan Ayaa one of the farmers, says she is offering her
cassava to the industry against her will because of the bad price for fear that
it will go bad.
Gen. Francis Achoka, the OWC Northern Region Coordinator
told URN on phone that government hasn’t yet prioritized searching for markets
for farmers produce.
Government has designed several projects in
Uganda aimed at enhancing food security and poverty eradication among rural
farmers.
They include among others Operation
Wealth Creation (OWC) and National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) among
others.
The programs capitalize on free seeds, livestock, farm tools
distribution and providing agricultural literacy to farmers.
Emmy Daniel Ojara
Freelancer