Acholi, Lango officers equipped to boost oil seed production

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The National Oil Seeds Project (NOSP) has conducted training sessions for community development officers (CDOs) and environmental officers from the northern Uganda sub-regions of Acholi and Lango, focusing on the transition of oil seed production from subsistence to commercial levels. The goal is to increase yields through value addition.

The officers were trained by NOSP experts on how to equip farmers in their respective districts with the knowledge and skills needed for large-scale, high-quality production of oil seed crops such as sunflower and soya beans, to meet growing market demands.

The three-day training, running from Monday, May 5, to Wednesday, May 7, 2025, is taking place at the Gulu district council hall.

Geoffrey Akena, the CDO for Nwoya, described the training as timely. He said it would help them sensitise smallholder farmers, many of whom suffer losses due to poor agricultural practices.

Akena said they would also raise farmers' awareness on improving market access through better yields and effective post-harvest handling, which are essential for maintaining crop quality.

He noted that Nwoya is among the districts in Uganda with a significant number of farmers engaged in vegetable oil seed production, with cultivation taking place in nearly every sub-county.

Judith Amuge, the CDO for Dokolo, also participated in the training. She said that while the district currently works with at least 30 farmers organised into fifteen groups, the production of oilseed crops—such as groundnuts, sunflower, soya beans and sesame—remains low, underlining the need for increased adoption of NOSP initiatives.

Amuge expressed optimism that with the full implementation of the project, farmers would see improved yields and increased income.

Eng. Andrew Olal Obong, a civil engineer working with NOSP under the Ministry of Local Government, said the project’s goal goes beyond building farmer capacity. It also seeks to eliminate exploitation by middlemen by connecting farmers directly with buyers.

“Our interest is to eliminate the middlemen by offering markets to the local farmers, who are most times exploited by the ‘middlemen’ who buy their oil seeds at a very low price,” remarked Olal.

He added that to address market access challenges, the project is constructing a 2,500km road network. Of this, 1,000km is already under construction in 81 NOSP-implementing districts, including Arua, Dokolo, Gulu, Hoima and Amolatar. The remaining 1,500km will be constructed later.

Olal also said the project provides affordable oil seeds to farmers. In some areas, they have trained groups of farmers who now specialise in seed production.

NOSP is a seven-year agricultural project implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government. It runs from July 12, 2021, to July 11, 2028.

The project focuses on four key oil seed crops in Uganda: sunflower, groundnuts, sesame, and soya beans.

According to project officials, NOSP is currently operating in 81 districts across Uganda, with plans for further expansion.

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