By Kaziba Moses
TORORO – Speaker of Parliament Jacob Marksons Oboth has urged communities in Bukedi to embrace coffee and cocoa growing as a route out of household poverty.
Oboth was speaking at the launch of the Coffee and Cocoa Household Poverty Eradication Initiative, a programme aimed at raising incomes in a region with strong agricultural potential but persistent poverty levels.
The launch was officiated by Vice President Jessica Alupo and attended by Cabinet ministers, Members of Parliament, local government leaders, cultural and religious leaders, and farmers.
Oboth said the initiative should not be treated as another seedling distribution exercise, but as a serious wealth creation programme for households.
He said Bukedi’s fertile soils and favourable weather give the region a strong chance to benefit from coffee and cocoa, two of Uganda’s leading export crops.
“Agriculture is no longer subsistence farming alone. It is a business capable of creating jobs and wealth when approached with the right mindset and technologies,” he said.
The Speaker urged farmers to move away from low-yield methods and adopt better farming practices, including the use of quality planting materials, environmental protection and organised cooperatives to strengthen their bargaining power in the market.
He linked the initiative to government programmes such as the Parish Development Model, saying Parliament will continue to support agriculture through budget allocations, policy and oversight.
Oboth said priority should be given to rural infrastructure, extension services and agro-industrialisation if farming is to deliver better incomes.
He also warned against misuse of agricultural resources, saying the programme will only succeed if transparency and accountability are enforced.
“As Parliament, we will continue to provide oversight to ensure that public resources reach the intended beneficiaries,” he said.
He urged local government leaders to be fair in mobilising communities so that no household is left out.
Oboth commended President Yoweri Museveni for his poverty alleviation agenda and praised Vice President Alupo for supporting development programmes in rural communities.
Vice President Alupo said coffee and cocoa production will require investment in irrigation, especially in areas affected by dry spells.
She called on the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries to speed up water-for-production interventions.
“Coffee and cocoa require adequate moisture, especially during establishment and flowering stages,” Alupo said.
She called for small-scale irrigation systems, water harvesting technologies, valley tanks, dams, community water reservoirs and better watershed management.
Alupo also encouraged farmers in Bukedi to diversify into coffee and cocoa alongside other commercial enterprises such as fruits, fish, dairy, poultry and piggery.
She, however, cautioned farmers not to abandon food crop production.
