This week, this newspaper ran a story that highlighted the plight of citrus farmers in Teso sub-region. Farmers who were interview said they had lost hope because nothing tangible had changed in their lives since government operationalised the fruit factory in 2019.
Stories are told of farmers who have resorted to cutting down entire orange gardens to pave way for other agriculture projects because of the losses they incur in growing citrus that was encouraged by government and development partners.
Local leaders say some of the 6,000 registered citrus farmers have instead been impoverished by the high costs of managing the orange trees.
While touring Teso in 2008, President Museveni pledged to build a fruit factory in the area in order to help farmers add value to their fruits and combat poverty. Government then allocated Shs5b for the factory and asked the Teso Tropical Fruit Growers Association to find a suitable private partner.
Fast forward, the factory was opened in 2019, with Uganda Development Corporation (UDC) owning 80 percent shares and Teso Tropical Cooperative Union holding the rest.
But the first four years have proved very hard, with local leaders saying solutions have to be found soon if farmers are to benefit from the factory.
In February last year, Soroti City West Division MP Jonathan Ebwalu raised several allegations on the floor of Parliament of gross abuse of office and resources, and unfulfilled financial obligations affecting the factory.
Then Deputy Speaker of Parliament Anita Among ordered a probe into the claims. Findings by a committee of Parliament unearthed several irregularities, which included the rotting of the farmers fruits due to the limited capacity of the factory to consume fruits being supplied to them, financial mismanagement and administrative flaws.
Government then allocated Shs57b to expand the factory with the hope that it increases production capacity. But expansion of the plant is just one of the problems plaguing the factory.
Our appeal is that government looks at all problems raised by Parliament. The committee pointed out the abuse of office and resources. The claims that some managers of the factory and UDC are running the factory as a personal business should be looked into.
Also, the farmers who have to wait another three years for the factory to be expanded need to be engaged so that they see what to do with their fruits that are rotting away in the gardens.
Otherwise, this well-intentioned investment to have Teso citrus farmers get ready market for their fruits could prove counterproductive.
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May 20, 2023 at 01:00PM
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Soroti fruit factory failure sends bad signals to farmers - Monitor
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