Toro youth benefit from cocoa, coffee seedlings initiative
Under the initiative, the coffee and cocoa seedlings, as well as chicks, are expected to help fight youth unemployment and boost household incomes.
Toro kingdom officials inspect some of the Cocoa seedlings shortly after the launch. (Photo by Jonan Tusingwire)
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Toro Kingdom has officially launched the distribution of cocoa and coffee seedlings across all its counties, under its youth livelihood programme.
Under the initiative, the coffee and cocoa seedlings, as well as chicks, are expected to help fight youth unemployment and boost household incomes.
According to Kingdom Premier Calvin Armstrong Rwomire, the first batch of seedlings, consisting of both high-yield cocoa and coffee varieties, distribution started on October 29, 2025, in Kyegegwa district and will be distributed to hundreds of youth farmers across all the counties that make up the kingdom.
“We are requesting the Government representatives to support the initiative by first being available as these seedlings are being given out,” he said.
He added that apart from distributing these seedlings, they have identified the groups that have the gardens where these seedlings can be planted.
The prime minister also revealed that a monitoring and evaluation team is in place to ensure that the seedlings are properly followed up on and that the program delivers tangible results. The program coordinators will be responsible for tracking the progress of the seedlings, ensuring their proper care, and assessing the impact on participants.
“We have put in place a robust system to track the success of the seedlings and help farmers improve their practices over time," he said.
The monitoring and evaluation team will be responsible for conducting regular site visits to check on the health and growth of the seedlings. They will also gather feedback from the youth farmers and provide technical support where needed.
According to the Prime Minister, the team will also work closely with local agricultural extension officers to provide timely interventions and guidance to farmers who may face challenges in the early stages of cultivation.
The project is part of King Oyo’s 25-year development plan, supported by the Government of Uganda, and focuses on sustainable farming. Rwomire further reveals that the second batch will include establishing nursery beds for coffee and cocoa and hatcheries in each of the kingdom’s nine counties, alongside training in proper farm management.
Henry Basaliza, the kingdom’s deputy prime minister, praised the president for supporting the kingdom and the youth.
“I call upon all the youth in all the counties of the kingdom to take care of the cocoa and coffee seedlings they will receive so that they can help them,” he said.
Nicholus Mugume, the kingdom minister of youth, revealed that the first beneficiaries of the program will be used as a model through which the kingdom will learn more on how to take the programme in the future.