Cooperatives best to fight poverty in northern Uganda

By Patrick Okino

Revamping cooperative society which collapsed years ago and group marketing of agricultural produce is the option to reduce abject poverty caused by the prolonged Lord Resistance Army (LRA) in northern Uganda. 

Low price, lack of funds to facilitate planting, weeding, harvesting and buying quality seeds for planting and lack of rain are some the challenges affecting farmers according to John Bosco Ocilo of Acaeogik village in Adwari sub county in Otuke district.

Ocilo, a disabled was on Monday receiving sunflower seeds from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation at Anara cooperative society in Aloi, Alebtong district.

At least 269 farmers got the seeds worth sh11m.

"I have prepared my field and will just go and plant but am happy that farmers and the government have started realizing the advantage of cooperative," she said. 

According to the chairperson of the farmers' cooperative Mike Ario,  they will act local and go global in the market.

He said Community Agriculture Infrastructure Improvement Programme (CAIIP) has set up a factory in the area for farm produce and Anara cooperative society will take the lead to supply the factory with the produce.

Moses Oremo, project manager FAO in the Lira field office revealed that a new variety of sim sim has been found and 100kg will be given to farmers for multiplication purpose.

The new variety is sesame 3 and was found by NARO.

The variety is pest and disease resistance, highly adapted to environment, high oil content; high yield about 2.5 tonnes per acre, white in color which is attractive to the local and international market and short duration crop about 2.5 months.

"We have secured 100kgs of sesame 3 that can be planted in 60 gardens for multiplication," he said.

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