About 90% Kasese farms rented
Kasese district’s economy depends entirely on agriculture. However, a severe land shortage is negatively affecting food and cash crop production in the district. District leaders are calling for the degazettement of some parts of Queen Elizabeth National Park and Mount Rwenzori National Park.
By Asuman Bisiika
Kasese district’s economy depends entirely on agriculture. However, a severe land shortage is negatively affecting food and cash crop production in the district. District leaders are calling for the degazettement of some parts of Queen Elizabeth National Park and Mount Rwenzori National Park.
According to Adam Asuman Bwambale, the secretary manager for Nyakatonzi Co-operative Union, 90% of cash and food crops in Kasese is cultivated on rented land. “This rental fee eats into the farmers’ returns and affects the production capacity,†said Bwambale.
Bwambale says the average rental fee in the district is sh40,000 per acre for a cotton season that runs from August to March and sh20,000 for the April to July maize season. He says in some areas like Katholhu and Kiburara that always score high cotton yields, it is sh60,000 per acre for the cotton season and sh40,000 for the maize season.
Why the land shortage? The total surface area for Kasese district is 2724 square km. Of this, water bodies and marshland occupy 461 square km, Queen Elizabeth National Park occupies 885 square km, Mount Rwenzori National Park occupies 652 square km while Kibaale National Park occupies 100 square km. This leaves 626 square km for human settlement and development.
Of the 626 square km for human settlement and development, there are big chunks of land owned by government institutions like Kilembe Mines, Mubuku Irrigation Scheme, Mubuku Prisons Farm, Ibuga Prisons Farm and Ibuga Refugee Settlement Camp. Other institutions are Mubuku Forest Reserve, Kabukero UPDF farm occupies 3000 hectares and Uganda Seed Project sits a 2000-hectare farm. Most of these institutions are either non-functional or are under-utilising the big swathes of land under their ownership.
Adam Bwambale says the seriousness of the land problem in Kasese might warrant the degazattement of some parts of Queen Elizabeth National Park and the appropriation of institutional land.
But Yokas Bihandi, the district chairman says there is a need to first explore other options before degazetting the parkland.
“I appreciate the demands for the degazettement of parkland, but I personally prefer to first look at other options. So, I invite the district leadership to guide the people to explore other options.â€
What is the cause of this land problem?
Most of the lower lands bordering Queen Elizabeth National Parks have very low rainfall density. So, in spite of its landscape being ideal for large scale mechanised agriculture, there is very sparse human settlement on the lower lands.
Human settlement is actually almost limited to the foothills of the mountain regions leaving a relatively big stretch of land lying uninhabited.
There is also persistent security scare in the fertile mountain areas since 1962. A district official says the current strain on land is caused by the displaced people from the mountain areas. “These internally displaced people have now chosen to remain on the lower lands increasing the pressure on the limited land. Their exposure to the mechanised production of cash crops like cotton has caused a high demand for farmland,†said the district official.
In spite of the relative calm in the mountain areas, people are reluctant to return to their homes. Yokas Bihandi told The New Vision that areas around the mountains are deserted. Deserted parishes include Buswagha in Kitholu sub-county, Bubothyo in Ihandiro sub-county, Busalya in Nyakiyumbu sub-county, Ibimbo in Kyondo sub-county and Buzira in Kisinga sub-county.
How is the district leadership addressing the land issue?
Yokas Bihandi says the district has drawn a master plan to attract the population to the semi-arid areas bordering Queen Elizabeth National Park. “We are planning to build gravity water-flow system in the areas of Kikorongo, Lyemibuza, Muhokya area to attract human settlement.
This will help to evenly spread human settlement in the district. Despite this measures however, the district still strongly calls on the Government to appropriate some land under the ownership of semi-functional institutions for human settlement.â€
Ends
Kasese district’s economy depends entirely on agriculture. However, a severe land shortage is negatively affecting food and cash crop production in the district. District leaders are calling for the degazettement of some parts of Queen Elizabeth National Park and Mount Rwenzori National Park.
According to Adam Asuman Bwambale, the secretary manager for Nyakatonzi Co-operative Union, 90% of cash and food crops in Kasese is cultivated on rented land. “This rental fee eats into the farmers’ returns and affects the production capacity,†said Bwambale.
Bwambale says the average rental fee in the district is sh40,000 per acre for a cotton season that runs from August to March and sh20,000 for the April to July maize season. He says in some areas like Katholhu and Kiburara that always score high cotton yields, it is sh60,000 per acre for the cotton season and sh40,000 for the maize season.
Why the land shortage? The total surface area for Kasese district is 2724 square km. Of this, water bodies and marshland occupy 461 square km, Queen Elizabeth National Park occupies 885 square km, Mount Rwenzori National Park occupies 652 square km while Kibaale National Park occupies 100 square km. This leaves 626 square km for human settlement and development.
Of the 626 square km for human settlement and development, there are big chunks of land owned by government institutions like Kilembe Mines, Mubuku Irrigation Scheme, Mubuku Prisons Farm, Ibuga Prisons Farm and Ibuga Refugee Settlement Camp. Other institutions are Mubuku Forest Reserve, Kabukero UPDF farm occupies 3000 hectares and Uganda Seed Project sits a 2000-hectare farm. Most of these institutions are either non-functional or are under-utilising the big swathes of land under their ownership.
Adam Bwambale says the seriousness of the land problem in Kasese might warrant the degazattement of some parts of Queen Elizabeth National Park and the appropriation of institutional land.
But Yokas Bihandi, the district chairman says there is a need to first explore other options before degazetting the parkland.
“I appreciate the demands for the degazettement of parkland, but I personally prefer to first look at other options. So, I invite the district leadership to guide the people to explore other options.â€
What is the cause of this land problem?
Most of the lower lands bordering Queen Elizabeth National Parks have very low rainfall density. So, in spite of its landscape being ideal for large scale mechanised agriculture, there is very sparse human settlement on the lower lands.
Human settlement is actually almost limited to the foothills of the mountain regions leaving a relatively big stretch of land lying uninhabited.
There is also persistent security scare in the fertile mountain areas since 1962. A district official says the current strain on land is caused by the displaced people from the mountain areas. “These internally displaced people have now chosen to remain on the lower lands increasing the pressure on the limited land. Their exposure to the mechanised production of cash crops like cotton has caused a high demand for farmland,†said the district official.
In spite of the relative calm in the mountain areas, people are reluctant to return to their homes. Yokas Bihandi told The New Vision that areas around the mountains are deserted. Deserted parishes include Buswagha in Kitholu sub-county, Bubothyo in Ihandiro sub-county, Busalya in Nyakiyumbu sub-county, Ibimbo in Kyondo sub-county and Buzira in Kisinga sub-county.
How is the district leadership addressing the land issue?
Yokas Bihandi says the district has drawn a master plan to attract the population to the semi-arid areas bordering Queen Elizabeth National Park. “We are planning to build gravity water-flow system in the areas of Kikorongo, Lyemibuza, Muhokya area to attract human settlement.
This will help to evenly spread human settlement in the district. Despite this measures however, the district still strongly calls on the Government to appropriate some land under the ownership of semi-functional institutions for human settlement.â€
Ends