Adjumani farmers urged to expand coffee farming to fight poverty

Stakeholders in Adjumani district have intensified calls for farmers to adopt large-scale coffee growing as a pathway to commercial agriculture and poverty reduction in their households.

Farmers bordering Zoka in Itirikwa sub-county are clearing their land in preparation to plant coffee.

Local leaders, agricultural experts, and business actors said the district is increasingly proving suitable for coffee production, with promising results already being recorded in several sub-counties.

The production officer for Adjumani, Dr Mamawi Ambayo Godfrey, highlighted the progress made so far and the growing interest among farmers in the enterprise.

“We have over 300 acres of coffee planted in Adjumani and more land is being opened to plant coffee. So far, we have also been selling coffee for the last two years. It performs well in approximately four sub-counties located in the upper area of the district. In Ukusijoni, Itirikwa, Pakele and Apaa bordering Zoka Forest.

“You know Zoka Forest is an original environment where there is even wild coffee and our farmers are really encouraged to plant coffee and they are going forward,” Ambayo added.

He revealed there is also a cooperative for coffee in Adjumani and they are using its structure very well to get the inputs and also have the land prepared for planting the coffee seedlings.

Agricultural stakeholders noted that the proximity to Zoka forest, which naturally supports wild coffee, gives the district a unique ecological advantage that farmers can tap into for improved yields.

Meanwhile, a prominent agricultural inputs dealer, Mawadri Justin, emphasised the broader economic importance of farming and encouraged more residents to take it up as a business venture.

“The economy of Uganda is greatly agricultural. Over 85% of Ugandans are engaged in farming. So, I ask everyone to join farming.

“Farming is a very profitable business. Remember, the population is rising every day, and everyone needs to eat every day. and, you farm what you can take to the market so that you can earn income.”

Authorities have also urged farmers to take advantage of the ongoing rains to boost productivity and expand acreage under cultivation.

The Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Emmanuel Okwere, called on communities to act quickly and utilise the favourable weather conditions.

“The weather has been very unfriendly, very unfavourable for many things including agricultural production. So, now that the rains have come, we should be very happy and utilise these rains,” Okwere said.

“We want to encourage you to now heighten your activities, take advantage of these rains as fast as possible, and put something on the ground so that increased consumption or increased productivity for consumption purposes or also for commercial purposes so that we can fight poverty out of our households.”

With the growing institutional support, cooperative structures, and improving weather conditions, stakeholders believe coffee farming could become a key driver of economic transformation in Adjumani if farmers embrace it on a larger scale.