The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), in collaboration with the Iteso Cultural Union (ICU), is training farmers in the Teso Sub Region who are set to receive coffee seedlings as part of an initiative aimed at promoting coffee growing and diversifying household incomes.
About 500 farmers attended a coffee establishment training at the ICU offices and are expected to receive 100 seedlings each to establish their gardens.
The training comes at a time when farmers in Teso have criticized the government for introducing and distributing coffee seedlings without providing proper knowledge and guidance on how to handle coffee during both rainy and dry seasons.
Abraham Ariko, the ICU Director of Agriculture stated that each district would receive 5,000 seedlings for 50 farmers, with the exception of Katakwi District.
He urged the beneficiaries to properly manage the seedlings so that they can develop productive coffee gardens and improve household incomes.
“Teso has faced a big challenge of irrigation schemes, but we have a plan to lobby the government. People should first improvise for the meantime,” Ariko said.
Grace Apolot, the regional coffee trainer under MAAIF, emphasized that the soils in Teso are suitable for Robusta coffee and encouraged farmers to embrace the crop. She cautioned farmers against establishing coffee gardens in swampy areas as excess water negatively affects growth of seedlings.
Apolot advised farmers to maintain a spacing of three metres by three metres and to dig planting holes measuring two feet by two feet. She also instructed farmers to separate topsoil from subsoil when digging, mix the topsoil with at least one basin of manure per hole, and use the mixture to refill the holes before planting.
“The key thing in coffee growing is the size of the hole which, if not done appropriately, affects production,” Apolot said.
She also urged farmers who already have fruit trees such as oranges, not to cut them down to establish coffee, but instead to plant coffee between the existing trees.
“Let people not think they’ve delayed, they are better off than those who haven’t heard,” she added.
Andrew Ocole, the Prime Minister of the ICU, warned farmers who are not committed to managing the seedlings against taking them, saying that they should leave them for interested farmers.
He added that the farmers would be monitored to ensure the seedlings are properly managed.
Sarah Iloput, one of the farmers from Kapelebyong who attended the training, said the programme had challenged the belief that Teso soils were unsuitable for coffee growing.
Samuel Emeju, another farmer from Serere said the training had improved his knowledge of coffee production and expressed hope that the crop will enhance livelihoods in the region if government gives enough resources to farmers.
The initiative is expected to encourage more farmers in Teso to take up coffee growing as an additional source of income, while proper management of the seedlings will be key to ensuring the programme achieves its intended benefits-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
