Tomato farmers in Bulambuli District have renewed their call for the government to fulfil its pledge to establish a tomato sauce factory in the Bugisu region, saying the facility would provide a reliable market and protect them from losses during bumper harvests.
The farmers say price fluctuations often leave them with large quantities of tomatoes that fetch very little, forcing some to consider abandoning the crop altogether. The farmers raised the concerns on Monday at Bulugeni Sub-county during a financial literacy training for farmers organised by Housing Finance Bank and facilitated by Bulambuli District Woman Member of Parliament Sarah Nambozo Wekomba.
Bulambuli is one of the leading tomato-producing districts in the Bugisu region, followed by neighbouring Sironko District. However, farmers say they struggle to find markets when production is high, with a basin of tomatoes sometimes selling for as little as 5,000 to 10,000 shillings.
Mary Gimeyi, a tomato farmer from Bulugeni Sub-county, said repeated price fluctuations have left farmers frustrated and questioning whether it is worth continuing with tomato growing. She said farmers invest heavily in the crop only to sell their produce at low prices during periods of abundant supply.
Farmers Derick Chibuguyi and Moses Masaba from Kamu Sub-county said President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni pledged to establish a tomato sauce factory in Bugisu during campaigns in 2016, but the pledge has not yet been fulfilled. They asked Sarah Wekomba and other NRM legislators from the region to remind the President of the commitment.
The farmers said a processing plant would help absorb excess production, create a stable market and allow them to earn more from tomatoes instead of relying entirely on fresh produce markets. Wekomba pledged to work with other legislators from Bulambuli and the wider Bugisu region to push for the establishment of the factory.
She also urged farmers and small business owners to take advantage of government-backed agricultural financing available through participating financial institutions. PostBank officials used the training to sensitise farmers on forming groups and accessing government agricultural loans, which they said are available through PostBank, Housing Finance Bank and Finance Trust Bank at an interest rate of one percent.
Wekomba encouraged farmers to consider the loans as an alternative to commercial money lenders, whom she accused of charging prohibitively high interest rates. She said some moneylenders in Bulambuli and the wider Bugisu region charge as much as 20 percent, making it difficult for farmers and small businesses to escape poverty.
Wekomba said accessing affordable credit could help farmers invest in production, while a tomato-processing factory would address the persistent challenge of finding markets for their produce. She pledged to mobilise fellow legislators to renew the push for the promised factory, saying value addition would strengthen tomato farming and improve household incomes in the region-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
