Govt delivers coffee seedlings to Kaberamaido farmers
A number of farmers who had shown interest in growing coffee were trained in January and February this year and registered to receive seedlings.
A farmer receiving coffee seedlings. (Photo by Michael Onyinge)
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The government, through the agriculture ministry, has delivered coffee seedlings to the farmers of Kaberamaido district.
The first consignment of the seedlings was officially received by district leaders at the district headquarters on Wednesday (April 22).
District Agricultural Officer Samuel Etwomu said a number of farmers who had shown interest in growing coffee were trained in January and February this year and registered to receive seedlings.
Etwomu said the government had previously been supplying the district with coffee seedlings, but in small quantities. Coffee had been found to grow well in the district.
Some of the farmers and district leaders of Kaberamaido looking at some of the trucks that delivered the coffee seedlings to the farmers of Kaberamaido. (Photo by Michael Onyinge)
The agriculture ministry has delivered 250,000 Robusta coffee seedlings (clonal variety KR3) to the district. This variety can be harvested for as long as 20 years and can begin to flower within 18 months.
Benson Ongom from the ministry said if the coffee plant is managed well, each stem can fetch about four kilogrammes of berries, with each kilogramme going for at around sh6,000.
He assured the farmers that the market for coffee was available and a processing plant was already in the Ntungamo district for value addition.
'No need to fear'
The officer in charge of Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) in Kaberamaido, Col Charles Emasu, said that due to fear of unfavourable weather conditions in the district, there was a need to supply coffee seedlings to the district.
"I told my bosses that there was already coffee doing well in the district, and hence no need to fear. Now that coffee seedlings have been brought, let us plant them and manage them well," he said.
Rashid Adakun, the assistant resident district commissioner, said since the NRM manifesto is keen on inspiring people into the money economy, this was the way to go.
“Let us embrace coffee growing, and we join the money economy."
Pauline Angwedo, one of the beneficiaries, said she is hopeful coffee will enable her to educate her children.
“I moved from Kaberamaido to Apac district to look for the coffee seedlings but each one was sold to me at sh2,000. This is a big relief to my fellow farmers who want to grow coffee," said Betty Wabule Engoru.
Already with a garden, Simon Okwera, a farmer from Aperkira sub-county, said he will grow more coffee on another acre and wait to earn from his efforts.
Joseph Edyegu Emusu, a farmer from Kamuk parish, said it is important to receive the ideal variety of crop. He based this on his forgettable experience growing oranges.
“I hope you remember that the government supplied us with orange seedlings that we planted and had hopes in the enterprise [Soroti Fruit Factory]. Later, we were told that we had planted bad varieties of oranges.
I hope this scenario will not happen with the coffee seedlings you are now supplying to us."