Vice President Jessica Alupo, together with the Teso Parliamentary Group, has intensified efforts to promote coffee and cocoa farming in the Teso sub-region, positioning the two cash crops as key drivers in the fight against household poverty.
Teso comprises Amuria, Kaberamaido, Kapelebyong, Katakwi, Kumi, Ngora, Serere and Soroti districts, covering an area of 13,030.6 square kilometres and home to an estimated 2.5 million people, mainly of Iteso and Kumam ethnicity.
The region is largely dependent on agriculture, particularly citrus growing and cattle rearing.
Speaking during a Teso Parliamentary Group meeting, Alupo said she first conceived the idea of introducing coffee and cocoa to the sub-region after representing President Yoweri Museveni during the official distribution of seedlings in Bukedi.
During that exercise, 50,000 coffee seedlings and 10,000 cocoa seedlings were distributed to farmers across Bukedi sub-region.
“I inquired about the same for Teso sub-region. The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries announced that government had already distributed coffee and cocoa seedlings to Teso farmers. With this motivation, I requested MAAIF, Operation Wealth Creation and the State House Local Content Unit to arrange for more seedlings and prepare more farmers across Teso to benefit,” she said.
Alupo urged stakeholders to prioritise farmer training in planting, harvesting, drying and marketing of the new cash crops, saying this would ensure productivity and sustainability.
“This is an approach that will diversify the cash crops in our region and will greatly support our people in the generation of household income,” she said.
She added that coffee and cocoa offer farmers a more reliable and sustainable source of income compared to traditional food crops, noting their strong global demand and established export markets.
Under the initiative, government is expected to continue distributing seedlings while strengthening extension services and farmer training to improve productivity and crop management.
Farmers were also encouraged to adopt modern practices such as irrigation, pest control and proper post-harvest handling.
“We want farmers to move beyond subsistence and begin farming as a business,” Alupo said. “Coffee and cocoa have the potential to bring steady incomes and improve household livelihoods.”
Ministry of Agriculture Commissioner for Coffee Production, Reuben Keimusya, said feasibility studies had confirmed that Teso’s soils and climate are suitable for both crops.
“This is a deliberate move to diversify into coffee and cocoa, which can reduce overreliance on seasonal food crops and cushion farmers against climate-related shocks,” he said.
He added that government now views coffee and cocoa as central to its poverty reduction strategy due to their export value and income stability.
State House Local Content Unit Head and Minister of State for Privatization and Investment designate, Hajjat Aminah Mukalazi, called on farmers to support efforts aimed at reducing the export of unprocessed raw materials, saying value addition is key to industrialisation and job creation.
“We must continue to add value to our coffee, cotton, minerals, among others, to create jobs and incomes for our people and revenues for government to carry out our mega infrastructure projects,” Mukalazi said.
She noted that coffee contributes about 17–20% of Uganda’s foreign exchange earnings and supports the livelihoods of an estimated 20% of Ugandans.
Members of Parliament from the region welcomed the initiative, saying it would be accompanied by sensitisation campaigns promoting coffee cultivation and consumption across schools, universities, religious institutions and community groups.
The strategy, also supported by Operation Wealth Creation, aims to raise household incomes to at least Shs30 million per year by 2040.
Solomon Kajura of Operation Wealth Creation said coffee farming remains one of Uganda’s most profitable ventures, particularly under organic production systems, but stressed the importance of quality seed and demonstration farms.
He urged legislators to establish model farms to ensure a trickle-down effect for farmers across the sub-region.
The programme will be officially flagged off in Katakwi District on June 27, 2026, targeting the second planting season beginning in July.