Budaka, Uganda: Vice President Jessica Alupo has called on farmers in Bukedi to embrace irrigation as government rolls out an ambitious plan to distribute 80 million coffee seedlings under the National Kibalo Campaign aimed at shifting households into the money economy.
Representing President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Alupo officially launched the campaign on Friday, May 01, at Kamonkoli College SS, emphasising that reliable water access is critical for year-round production.
“You are being told that you can produce throughout the year, but that requires a reliable source of water,” she said, urging farmers to adopt irrigation alongside improved agronomic practices.
The Bukedi rollout aligns with the Bukedi Sub-Region Strategic Plan for Accelerated Wealth Creation (2024–2040), spearheaded by Monica Musenero Masanza and launched by President Museveni in August 2024.
Government officials led by Yona Oboth outlined a five-year strategy that will focus on mass sensitisation, farmer training, value addition, and large-scale seedling distribution across communities, schools, and institutions.
Rauben Keimusya, Assistant Commissioner for Coffee Production at the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries, described the initiative as a critical intervention against poverty in Bukedi, one of Uganda’s lowest-income regions.
Feasibility studies conducted by National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) and MAAIF have confirmed the region’s suitability for coffee cultivation, paving the way for large-scale investment.
Keimusya highlighted the economic advantage of coffee over traditional crops, noting that while cassava earns about UGX 900,000 per acre, coffee can generate between UGX 16–18 million annually under proper management, with improved varieties yielding up to 4 kilograms per tree.
To boost mobilisation, leaders also unveiled plans for a Bukedi Coffee Run scheduled for July, alongside the establishment of seedling multiplication centres, subsidised distribution, and partnerships with private sector players such as Nonda Commodities Limited.
Despite the momentum, some stakeholders raised concerns over possible overlaps with earlier frameworks under the strategic plan, though officials did not immediately clarify the issues.
Alupo pledged to relay these concerns to the President, while also rallying residents to embrace complementary government programmes such as the Parish Development Model and Emyooga.
With Europe accounting for approximately 63 percent of Uganda’s coffee exports, led by Italy, leaders expressed confidence that the Kibaalo Campaign will transform Bukedi into a major commercial agriculture hub and significantly boost household incomes.
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