Stephen Byantwale, the Director of Crop Resources at MAAIF noted that the Acholi Sub-region presents a unique potential in the production of vegetable oil since it is already popular for growing sim sim.
The Ministry of Agriculture,
Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) has encouraged farmers in the Acholi
Sub-region to tap into the vegetable oil market as the country grapples to sustain edible oil production.
The government is currently
implementing the National Oil Seeds Project, a seven-year initiative rolled out
in 2021 that aims to support smallholder farmers in oil seed production, value
addition, and market linkages.
Acholi Sub-region is among the 81
districts in the country benefiting from the US$160 Million (approximately 600
billion shillings) project co-funded by IFAD, Heifer International, and Kuehne
Foundation.
The Minister of State for
Agriculture Rtd Maj. Fred Bwino said the country has for the past years been
spending huge money in importing vegetable oil, yet it has the potential to boost
its local production.
In 2020 alone, the country
imported 381,320 Metric tons of vegetable oils worth US$289.8 million of which
palm oil accounted for 97% of the quantity imported.
Speaking to local government
leaders from the Acholi Sub-region on Wednesday in Gulu City, Maj Bwino said
the government has to that effect taken the initiative to boost vegetable oil
production using sesame, groundnuts, sunflower, and soya beans.
He said through the project, the
government is injecting a total of 100 billion shillings into each of the six hubs
in Busoga, Acholi, West Nile, Lango, Mid-Western, and the Karamoja region
covering 81 districts.
In the Acholi Sub-region
specifically, the government is targeting to work with 10,000 farmers from the
19 clusters with each farmer expected to produce 1 ton of vegetable oil seed.
Cumulatively from the six hubs,
the government is projecting to produce 600,000 metric tons of vegetable oil
that surpasses the domestic edible oil demand.
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According to government data,
presently Uganda produces 80,000 metric tons of vegetable oil, yet
approximately 410,000 metric tons of vegetable oils per year is required to
meet its domestic demand.
Stephen Byantwale, the Director of
Crop Resources at MAAIF noted that the Acholi Sub-region presents a unique
potential in the production of vegetable oil since it is already popular for
growing sim sim.
He said farmers should tap into the
market for the exports of oil seed crops citing that they fetch significantly higher
prices in the European market but cautioned, on quality processing.
In the European market according to
Byantwale, a kilogram of sim sim costs between 5.32 Euros and 7.62 Euros.
During the consultative meeting
that attracted district agricultural officers, district chairpersons,
production officers, and Chief Administrative Officers, the leaders however raised
concerns that the project has taken too long to reach the intended
beneficiaries.
They also highlighted challenges that have affected its
implementation ranging from climate change, pests and diseases, poor storage facilitates,
and delayed land opening by farmers among others.
Amuru District Chairperson Michael
Lakony noted that for close to three years since the inception of the project,
the implementers had only been focusing on the “software” component of the project
leaving out the benefiting farmers.
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His counterpart, the Omoro
District Chairperson Douglas Peter Okello said the oil seed project, especially
on soya beans was affected in the district due to the limited processing facilities
to complete the project's value chain.
He said without the value chain of
the oil seed project being complete, the benefiting farmers will continue to be
exploited by middlemen.
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However, in response, Maj. Bwino acknowledged
the slow pace of the project implementation within the hubs citing they had
been undertaking procurement and human resource mobilization.
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Acholi Sub-region is also expected
to benefit from 151 km of community access road construction worth 28 billion
shillings under the market linkage infrastructure component of the project. This
is part of the 2,500 km of community access roads designed under the project to
link farmers to markets.
