As President Yoweri Museveni orders investigations into persistent poverty in Busoga and Bukedi sub-regions despite numerous government interventions, cocoa farming has emerged as a potential game changer.
The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation has identified cocoa as a high-value cash crop capable of lifting households in Busoga out of poverty.
According to a survey conducted by the ministry, an investment of Shs1 million in cocoa farming can potentially generate returns of up to Shs17 million after about three and a half years.
Dr. Joshua Isiko, an official from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation under the Office of the President, said the findings followed a five-day engagement with leaders and stakeholders across Busoga.
“We have been in Busoga for five days planning specifically for the region, to identify which commodities or value chains a Musoga should be rallied to make money and get out of poverty,” Dr. Isiko said.
He explained that the team held consultations with cultural leaders, political leaders and other stakeholders, and is midway through compiling documentation to guide the region’s economic transformation.
“During these engagements, different ideas were suggested on how people in this region can move out of poverty, including growing cash crops. But for people to benefit, they must sell these crops, earn money and then buy food,” he said.
Dr. Isiko noted that cocoa stood out as the most viable option.
“Our assessment shows that investing Shs1 million in cocoa can yield up to Shs17 million in returns,” he said. “A farmer’s investment in cocoa has the potential to grow 17 times.”
He added that coffee emerged as the second-best option, with the potential to multiply investment by nine times, while palm oil ranked third, generating between Shs4-5 million from a Shs1 million investment.
“These are the three crops we have prioritized: cocoa, coffee and palm oil on top of the food crops people already grow. We want households to have at least one crop that brings in money,” Dr. Isiko said.
He linked the initiative to President Museveni’s four-acre model.
“In the four-acre model the President has been advising one can plant cocoa, coffee or palm oil. These are the three crops we have zeroed in on,” he said.
Dr. Isiko said the ministry will document the findings in a way that enables ordinary people to understand which activities to engage in and who to contact for support.
“We also plan to engage with villagers to validate these calculations on the three selected crops with the farmers who will use this information,” he added.
He explained that Busoga won’t be assigned specific crops since it mostly has the same environmental conditions.
“Busoga has similar climatic conditions. Variations in performance are mainly due to soil factors such as acidity, nitrogen and potassium levels, which are simple problems to solve using science and technology,” Dr. Isiko said.
He added that rainfall, humidity and temperature are fairly uniform across the region.
“There is no part of Busoga that is significantly drier than another. That is why we shall not zone the region for these crops,” he said.
Dr. Isiko further revealed that demonstration sites will be established to teach best farming practices.
“We shall have demonstration sites where people will learn how to make the best money from whichever crop they choose. That will happen during implementation,” he said.
According to Dr. Isiko, the strategic plan is expected to be completed by January next year and will include mapping, technology sourcing and input supply mechanisms.
“When someone reads this document, it should clearly guide them on where and how to make money,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Monica Musenero, said Uganda’s development planning increasingly focuses on sub-regions to ensure inclusive growth.
“The President has for a long time emphasized planning around sub-regions so that each one can be deliberately brought into the money economy,” Dr. Musenero said.
She explained that while Uganda’s economy is growing, assessments show disparities in growth rates among different sub-regions.
“The uptake of government programs has not been uniform. Some regions are moving very fast into the money economy, while others are lagging behind,” she said.
Dr. Musenero noted that Bukedi and Busoga were prioritized because they have not been keeping pace with national development.
These regions are among the underperforming areas; in many cases, people see government programs as belonging to the government, not to them, she said.
She added that some national government programs failed to yield results in certain regions because they were designed uniformly for the entire country.
“As science and technology, our role is to find out what works best for each region. That is why we adopted this strategic planning approach, which is a concept developed by the President,” Dr. Musenero said.
Mr Abdul Kimbowa, General Secretary of the youth from Buyende District, welcomed the initiative led by State House, saying he believes it will drive Busoga’s transformation because of its unique approach.
He said that people in Busoga have lacked crops that provide consistent yields, like cocoa and coffee, which can be harvested repeatedly without replanting.
Mr Isaac Kambugu, a sugarcane farmer from Namutumba, welcomed the idea but noted that its success depends on the government’s good intentions.
“I’m cautious about government projects because, for a long time, the same government has sourced crops that could transform areas, only for prices to drop at harvest,” he explained.