On the shores of Lake Victoria, in the lush expanse of Buvuma Island, a quiet revolution in agriculture is underway.
Between October 2024 and March 2025, 159 smallholder oil palm farmers — a quarter of them women — harvested over 160,000 kilograms of fresh fruit bunches (FFB), earning a combined income of UGX 107.8 million.
This milestone is proof that oil palm cultivation, backed by Uganda’s National Oil Palm Project (NOPP), holds immense potential to transform livelihoods.
But beneath the optimism lies a growing unease.
A Harvest Without a Home
Buvuma was meant to be the next frontier of Uganda’s oil palm success story, modeled after Kalangala’s transformation.
According to the NOPP design, once 3,000 hectares of smallholder gardens were established, a Crude Palm Oil (CPO) mill would be constructed in the district.
That promise has been delayed — the mill will now only be operational in 2027, more than two years from now.
In the meantime, farmers are caught in a logistical limbo. Their produce must be transported by boat to Kalangala — a costly and time-sensitive process.
Oil Palm Buvuma Limited (OPBL) has commendably stepped in to shoulder transportation costs, but this is a temporary fix to a systemic problem.
“Fresh fruit bunches are highly perishable. The longer they take to reach a mill, the greater the risk of spoilage and reduced oil content,” says one agronomist working with the project.
This delay not only threatens farmer incomes but also undermines confidence in the project itself.
Yields Speak Volumes — So Do the Gaps
The average yield for smallholder farmers in Buvuma currently stands at 0.39 tons per hectare per month.
While this shows promise for a first-year harvest, it pales in comparison to the 0.83 tons achieved by OPBL’s nucleus estate.
The difference is attributed to intercropping with cassava and sweet potatoes — practices that compete for soil nutrients and fertilizer.
However, even with these agronomic gaps, the message is clear: the oil palm trees are producing, and the farmers are responding with enthusiasm.
Monthly harvests have steadily increased, from 10,405 kg in October 2024 to 48,741 kg by March 2025. The growth trajectory is unmistakable.
Development Loans: Lifeline or Liability?
To date, over UGX 7.9 billion has been disbursed to smallholder farmers in the form of development loans.
While these loans provide the capital necessary for establishing and maintaining plantations, delays in disbursement — reported by several local farmers — have hindered timely application of fertilizers and bush clearing, affecting overall yields.
“We couldn’t afford the fertilizers in time because our loan came late. By the time we cleared the bush, the yield had already dropped,” says Mustafa Kasiiba, a farmer in Busamuzi sub-county.
With harvests underway, these farmers are expected to begin repaying their loans — but doing so without a local mill puts them at financial risk.
Land: The Unfinished Puzzle
Land availability for the mill itself — pegged at 12 hectares in Busamuzi — has been identified, but disputes over compensation and land rights remain unresolved.
Some residents have protested OPBL’s clearance of food crops, claiming inadequate consultation and payment.
This tension has the potential to derail progress if not addressed transparently.
The district leadership and Ministry of Agriculture must work closely with affected communities to ensure inclusive, fair, and timely compensation processes.
The Cost of Delay
Each additional year without a local mill represents:
- Lost income due to spoilage and high transport costs
- Reduced oil extraction efficiency from deteriorated fruit quality
- Loan repayment pressure on already stretched farmers
- Increased project fatigue and skepticism among communities
It also means fewer jobs for local youth, slower economic activity in Buvuma Town Council, and reduced incentives for future farmers to join the scheme.
The Promise Still Holds
Despite these challenges, hope is far from lost. The growing harvests, active farmer participation, and OPBL’s ongoing support demonstrate that oil palm can be a game-changer for Buvuma.
What’s needed now is accelerated infrastructure development — particularly the construction of the CPO mill.
If completed ahead of schedule, the mill would:
- Cut post-harvest losses by up to 30%
- Provide direct employment to over 300 locals
- Boost local commerce through increased demand for inputs, tools, and transport
- Restore farmer confidence and encourage new entrants
A Call to Action
The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries must prioritize fast-tracking the mill construction.
Parliament should consider a special budget allocation or concessional financing arrangement to bridge the gap.
Development partners and private sector players must also be mobilized to ensure that by 2026, Buvuma farmers are no longer exporting raw bunches — but processing, branding, and selling their own oil.
Oil palm is working for Buvuma. But without a mill, it’s a victory half-won.
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