Shea nut centres established

Two market information centres have been established in Otuke and Agago districts to give information on marketing shea nut.

The centres were commissioned during the celebrations to mark International Day for Biodiversity. The theme for this year’s celebrations was: “Action for nature.”

During the celebrations held at Kalongo town council on May 22, government officials and UN representatives called for action to conserve shea tree.

The extinction of an indigenous and restricted asset – shea tree – was a major concern that triggered anger as representatives from government and international community addressed hundreds of celebrants.

Formerly named butryospermum paradoxum and now called vitellaria paradox, the shea tree has a useful fruit bearing life span of more than 100 years.

It grows naturally in the dry savannah belt of West Africa, from Senegal in the west to Sudan in the east, and on to the foothills of the Ethiopian highlands. In Uganda, shea tree is mainly found in the eastern and northern regions.

However, bad practices such as cutting down of shea tree, mainly for charcoal burning and lighting bush fires during the hunt for wild animals have resulted in loss of shea tree belts and low yields.

Grace Kwiyucwiny, state minister for northern Uganda, said even those who engage in charcoal burning have remained extremely poor.

“You do not get rich because it’s a curse; you are cutting vegetation which was planted by God long time ago,” she said.

Kwiyucwiny added: “I have seen many people selling charcoal in my village but I’ve not seen them rich.”