Lango farmers decry middlemen "reaping where they didnt sow"

Farmers in the Lango sub-region have voiced frustration over the persistent exploitation and manipulation by middlemen and produce dealers.

The farmers say the practice of middlemen "reaping where they have not sown" is causing significant distress among the farming community in the region where rural communities solely rely on farming.

Ms. Molly Atim, a farmer in Lira District, said the middlemen and produce dealers are currently taking advantage of the lack of marketing structures for agricultural produce and access to financial services to make huge profits at the expense of the farmers.

"Agriculture is the backbone of our country. We rely on farming as a source of livelihood. However, it has become a risk to farmers. Even when we plant our crops on large acres and make good harvests, there isn't a market for our produce," says Atim.

During planting season, Atim says agro-input dealers have been selling their products at exorbitant prices, only for produce dealers and middlemen to offer farmers low prices for their harvest.

This vicious cycle leaves farmers struggling to make ends meet despite their hard work and dedication to growing crops, as explained by Atim.

The Lango sub-region is known for its production of oilseeds such as soya beans and sunflower, along with other crops like maize, sim sim, beans, and cassava.

However, the disparity between the prices farmers receive and the prices at which produce is sold by dealers is stark.

For example, small-sized beans are bought from farmers in villages between shs1,500 and shs2,500 per kilogram but are sold by produce dealers at shs5,000 per kilogram

Similarly, maize is bought from farmers at shs700 per kilogram and sold by dealers at shs1,200 per kilogram.

Mr Patrick Okello, a farmer of Aboke Sub-county in Kole District, said he was forced to sell off his ton of maize cheaply to the produce dealers due to a lack of ready markets

“We, farmers can no longer educate our children through proceeds achieved from farming because of high input prices, “he added.

Okello said the government should consider supporting farmers with quality drying facilities for farmers’ produce to improve value addition.

“Government has failed to standardize the selling framework in the country, and whoever wants to trade or transact business with means of exploiting the citizens is at liberty to carry it out freely,” says Okello.

“During the second planting season, you realize that farmers are always charged highly between shs50,000 and shs60,000 while buying one kilogram of maize seeds, but after harvest, produce dealers and middlemen usually buy a kilogram of grains at shs700,” Okello told Nile Post.

Lira City East Division Mayor, Mr George Okello Ayo, said the stronghold of middlemen and produce dealers has left farmers at the mercy of middlemen as they tend to control market access and capital flow,”

Dorcus Alum, the Lira District Agricultural officer, said the districts are incapacitated to help farmers as there are no policies by the government.

“It's supply and demand that controls the market. So, as the agriculture department, we don’t have a big role in market availability. It is a policy thing. It should come from the policies set by the government on how farmers can be safeguarded,” she explained.

Alum, however, advised farmers to form cooperatives that would help negotiate for better prices.

“The only advice to farmers is to form reliable functional cooperatives to come together and fight this vice. Because if they were together, they would buy seeds in bulk as cooperatives at a reduced price and also be able to negotiate while selling," she said.