Amolatar district receives 80,000 coffee seedlings worth shs160m

Amolatar district has received 80,000 coffee seedlings from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, as part of efforts to boost commercial agriculture and wealth creation in the district.

The seedlings are valued at shs 160 million.

While receiving the seedlings supplied by Blessed Tree Planters and Agro Distributors, the District Chief Administrative Officer, Paul Samuel Mbiwa, commended the government for supporting agriculture as a tool for poverty eradication in the district.

Mbiwa urged leaders and stakeholders to encourage farmers to take this opportunity seriously, despite the misconception that coffee does not do well in the region.

He revealed that the district had requested 400,000 seedlings but only 80,000 were delivered, which he said is insufficient to meet the high demand among interested farmers.

CAO Mbiwa directed agricultural extension workers must support these farmers to ensure they succeed.

Amolatar Assistant Resident District Commissioner, Pule Boniface, echoed the CAO’s remarks and emphasized that coffee is among the government’s priority cash crops under the four-acre model.

He tasked the district technical staff to document successful farmers in coffee production and other government poverty-alleviation programs so that when the president visits the district he can visit and appreciate their success stories.

Meanwhile, the regional agricultural officer, Andrew Okello said the clone variety of coffee seedlings which was distributed is high yielding and matures only in two years, making it more economically viable.

Okello encouraged farmers in the region to start raising offee seedlings and supply government plus other farmers to create more business and employment opportunities.

Outside Amolatar, Lamwo district in Acholi sub-region has also received coffee seedlings from the government. The local government leaders in the district said the move is to make Lamwo a coffee-growing district.