Thirteen years ago, the Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) and the National Oil Palm Project (NOPP), announced a mega oil palm project in Busoga sub-region.
The multi-billion project suffered a hiccup that put the whole plan on a standstill.
However, the project came back to life on Friday as it was officially launched, at Buwolya Village in Mpungwe Sub County, Mayuge District.
It started on a four-acre piece of land owned by one of the seasoned farmers.
Suzan Lakwonyero, the NOPP Project Manager, who commissioned the planting noted that every registered farmer is set to transform their lives through the oil palm project.
“The crops we are giving farmers have been nurtured in our beds for two years, our team is going to be here and monitor them closely for better results. We have trained enough extension workers to support Mayuge hub.” Lakwonyero reveals.
Se further explains that the oil palm hub in Busoga shall depend on the already established beds at Buvuma.
“We have been challenged to get land near the lake to establish a bed in Mayuge and still failing but that cannot stop us from planting. We have dedicated enough vehicles to transport seedlings from Buvuma until all farmers are catered for.”
The project aims at establishing an estate of 3500 acres of palm oil trees in the hub comprising three districts of Mayuge, Bugiri and Namayingo to support oil production in the country. Each acre, according to NOPP, will consist of 67 oil palm trees.
The hub shall only consist of outgrowers gardens different from Buvuma and Kalangala where nucleus estates for the investor are also established.
Currently, the establishment of Mayuge out growers’ headquarters is still pending but it is slated to be situated at Manyiro sub-county in Mayuge district.
The leadership of the out-growers’ association was duly constituted and passed by the Mayuge district leadership and has already secured its certificate of operation.
Farmers at Mayuge applauded the government for fulfilling the promise of introducing oil palm growing in their area.
Moses Mabanda, the Chairperson of Mayuge out growers, says the project has been overdue since farmers embraced the idea and have been waiting for it.
“We have learned about this project and how it has transformed the lives of farmers in Kalangala and countries where it is grown. We are looking towards transforming our lives as individuals but also as a community we hope to benefit from projects such as roads and alternative livelihood programs.” Mabanda says.
Muhammad Gweru, the first beneficiary of the oil palm project at Mayuge says at his old age of 72 looks towards leaving behind a sustainable project as his family legacy.
He says he has participated in growing coffee and cocoa crops for several decades but he opted out due to the unstable prices and disease.
Another out grower at Mayuge from Buwanuka Village, Silva Obara says could not hesitate embracing planting the crop that can be grown alongside other fast-growing crops.
Obara has prepared a garden of five acres waiting for the delivery of seedlings to also start the planting this month.
As a farmer who has for so long been involved in growing sugarcane, he has lived a miserable life due to the unstable prices, environmental calamities such as prolonged drought and wild fire. He was also excited about the harvesting seasons involved.
Charles Ssembatya, an agronomist at NOPP says a mature oil palm (3-4 years old) can be harvested for 20-25 years, providing farmers with a monthly income as ripe fruits are harvested every after ten days.
He adds that soils in Mayuge hub were tested and proved for better results. So far Mayuge hub brings us to the total of five districts planting oil palm in the country.
The first were Kalangala and Buvuma, at Kyotera district beds were established and planting is yet to take place.
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