Uganda's hopes of fully participating in the global pumpkin market, which was valued at 180.3 million dollars as of December 2020, appear to be on the verge of collapse.
Seasonal changes, a lack of capital and knowledge about value addition, and political uncertainty have conspired to keep pumpkin farmers in Kakumiro district in abject poverty.
The local market's glut of pumpkins is likely to demoralise pumpkin growth in Kakumiro.
Ronald Waiswa, a first-time pumpkin farmer, is among those who are losing faith.
Waiswa takes me on a tour of his ten-acre pumpkin farm on a cloudy afternoon.
So far, he has only harvested 40 tonnes of pumpkins from his farm, leaving over 2000 pieces in the garden.
"Around four thousand pieces remain unharvested in the garden, amounting to about 20 tonnes." Ronald says.
According to the 37-year-old pumpkin farmer, there is no market for his pumpkins, with the majority of them left to rot in the garden due to their abundance.
The much-anticipated market they always tapped into as farmers was Kenya, which no longer exists.
"Because of the political environment, we haven't been able to sell any of our pumpkins, but local people are buying in small quantities, leaving a large stock behind that will eventually rot." Ronald expounds.
Ronald's ten acres are expected to be worth ten million shillings. However, the rate at which pumpkins rot in the garden concerns him, and he anticipates a loss of nearly four million shillings.
He would like to benefit from value addition, but he is unaware of what it is.
"That will require solar driers and other equipment to make porridge out of pumpkins, which I can't do right now because I don't have the money and don't know how," Ronald says.
Another pumpkin farmer's plight is that of Ahebwa Margret and Kezaara Junior.
They have been hard hit by the long dry spell, which has resulted in a low yield.
"The sun hit us hard, and we harvested nothing." The duo explained.
Because of the unpredictability of the market and their lack of knowledge of value addition, their small yield prevents them from selling their produce.
The Kakumiro production officer Serumaga Stephen has a different opinion about the district's pumpkin market challenge.
"It is true that there is no market, but I advised farmers to try to sell the pumpkins locally because most of our locals have nothing to eat due to the long dry spell while they await the larger markets." He stated
Serumaga adds that the government is working on sensitising people about value addition issues.
While Mexico leads the world in pumpkin exports, with an estimated $551.4 million in revenue in 2021, Uganda, whose backbone is agriculture, does not export even 10% of its pumpkins to the global market.
Farmers' cries paint a hazy picture of pumpkin production in the country.
