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Bukedi Subregion’s Agricultural Decline: Cotton’s Fall and the Struggle for Revival.

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Bukedi Subregion’s Agricultural Decline: Cotton’s Fall and the Struggle for Revival.
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Once a beacon of prosperity in Uganda’s cotton industry, the Bukedi subregion now finds itself grappling with severe poverty, following a shift from commercial to subsistence farming.

Cotton, which was introduced in the early 20th century by the British colonial administration, became the backbone of the region’s economy by 1962, enabling households to thrive. Today, Bukedi is the second poorest subregion in the country.

"In my own Nagongera, we had a cotton factory that did the milling and generated cooking oil. The finished product went to Mbale and Jinja," recalled political analyst Joseph Ochieno.

Cotton, along with food crops like millet, sorghum, and cassava, provided for households and supported the education of many children. Farmers were organised into cooperative societies, with markets facilitated by railway lines connecting Bukedi to outside countries.

The collapse of these cooperatives in the post-independence era left cotton farmers without support or access to reliable markets.

Struggling to sustain the crop, they gradually abandoned cotton and turned to growing food crops for both consumption and sale. However, this shift has not alleviated the region’s poverty. Instead, it has deepened, with Bukedi now facing food insecurity and economic stagnation.

"With issues like underfunded education, healthcare, lack of jobs, and poor access to water, Bukedi has become the poorest subregion in the country," Ochieno lamented.

Ochieno questioned what had happened to the once-thriving cotton industry and why efforts to revive it have been ineffective.

Despite government programs such as the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), and the Parish Development Model(PDM), the region remains largely stuck in subsistence farming.

Billions of shillings have been injected into districts like Tororo, which received over 32 billion shillings, benefiting 16,300 people. However, these funds have done little to transform the agricultural landscape.

"Most people went into cassava enterprise, but now the price is low, and we don’t have any value addition facility," explained John Okea, chairperson of Tororo district.

With farmers unable to reap the rewards of commercial agriculture, many households continue to struggle.

Leaders in the subregion point to poorly implemented government programs and lack of preparedness as major hindrances.

"People lined up for these funds, but what can you see on the ground? They got the money and went into other things," observed Simon Peter Opio, a local cultural leader.

Opio called for more stringent monitoring of these programs and accountability for their lack of impact.

As Bukedi prepares to host Uganda’s 62nd Independence Day celebrations, local leaders are urging the government to recommit to its development programs.

"There’s no need to celebrate self-rule if people are not economically empowered," said Denis Nyangweso, MP for Samia Bugwe Central.

Nyangweso hopes the President’s message on Independence Day will focus on economic liberation for Bukedi and other struggling regions.

The once-thriving cotton subregion now seeks not just independence but a return to prosperity, calling on the government to deliver on its promises and address the pressing challenges facing its people.

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