The State Minister for Northern Uganda, Hon. Kenneth Omona, has proposed that for the region to develop in the agricultural sector, they must have an agreed cash crop which people in the area can grow, to boost incomes.

He said the failure to focus on a singular high value crop to invest in, is among the reasons why the region’s household incomes have not grown.

“People are gambling from oilseeds to other grains to vegetables. Our discussion with relevant agencies especially Uganda Coffee Development Authority and the National Agricultural Advisory Services is on guiding the people of Northern Uganda on what kind of cash crop they can grow to earn income, and we are beginning to zero down on those cash crops,” said Omona.

Presenting during the first regional plenary sitting held in Gulu City on Wednesday, 28 August 2024, Omona also highlighted the need for extension services to reach the local communities, noting concerns that the services have not been received by most sub-counties in Northern Uganda.

“Extension workers are not telling anybody what to do, so people gamble. Northern Uganda was said to have been given 43 million coffee seedlings, and when you ask the agencies where the seedlings are, they cannot show you. When you ask the citizens, they do not even know how to grow coffee and yet they hear that there is money in coffee,” he said.

Hon. Lawrence Biyika (NRM, Ora County) alluded to a suitability and capability study on Uganda’s soils carried out between 1999 and 2002, which he said can guide the selection of crops to prioritise for growth in Northern Uganda.

“I was part of that team and we know exactly what can grow in the upper part of West Nile, we know exactly what can grow in Teso. When the minister says we should identify priority enterprises, we are not stopping those regions from growing all other food or cash crops. These regions must have a priority crop which they are known for,” said Biyika.

The state minister said mechanisation of agriculture will go a long way in improving crop yields, noting that farmers in the area continue using traditional tools like hand-hoes and ox-ploughs to till their land.

“With such primitive tools, we cannot meet the economic demand of crop production we are talking about. All the people I have interacted with including those living around Mount Elgon, want tractors to mechanise and produce massively. This is something we should begin discussing,” Omona said.

He also highlighted the need to utilise the over 20,000 square kilometres of land in Acholi sub-region to engage in livestock production, through supporting provision of livestock breeding at subsidised costs.

The minister’s submissions followed the presentation of a report by the committee on Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, from a field visit to selected districts in Northern Uganda to assess water for agricultural production facilities.

The committee chairperson, Hon. Linda Auma, said there is need for government to support the creation of public and private water sources for production in the region and the country at large.

“Availability of water for production is key in enhancing agricultural production in the face of challenges associated with climate change. Rehabilitating the existing water sources and creating more is vital in promoting usage of water for agricultural production,” said Auma.

While chairing the plenary sitting, the Speaker, Anita Among, said the Committee report needed to address broader issues on the agricultural sector in Northern Uganda, and she tasked the Committee to carry extensive consultations on the matter.

“Agriculture is the backbone of this country and it is something that should be handled holistically. The irrigation is just an auxiliary function that facilitates production,” said Among.

She added that the committee should look at the primary and secondary aspects of agricultural production in different regions of Northern Uganda.

“Look at look at Karamoja, Acholi, Lango and West Nile in terms of mechanization. Find out how many tractors each region needs, what kind of crops grow better in these areas, how we can we improve post-harvest handling, and how we can do value addition to improve the agricultural sector,” Among added.