The plight of citrus farmers in Teso sub-region is not over yet. Local farmers said they had lost hope because nothing tangible had changed in their lives since government operationalized the Soroti 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.
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.
Source: monitor.co.ug