Harugongo: The onion hotspot, real estate virgin area

Green fields covered in onion on vast plots of land, is what first strikes your eyes when you get here. Located in Kabarole District, Harugongo Sub-county is known in Rwenzori sub-region as the best area for onion production. It is located 15 kilometres west of Fort Portal Town. The road here is murrum.

Some of the most popular onion growing areas in Harugongo are Kyakara, Mugamba, Buryambuzi, Nyakabira, and Nyakaina. People here mostly grow onions on large scale such as plots of more than 10 acres.

Why onion production?
Geoffrey Kanyakole, a resident of Kicharacha village in Harugongo, says over the years, the area has been known for onion production in Tooro sub-region.

“The reason why we are known for onion production in this region is because we have volcanic soils which are fertile for onion growth. The area is also blessed with favourable weather. It rains all the time,” shares Kanyakole.
The area lies within the ranges of Rwenzori Mountains in Kasese District.

Cost of land
Patrick Kagenda, the chairperson of Nyatamboma Parish, says majority of onion farmers in the area hire land for a season or two. A year has two onion seasons. He says an acre of land, when well looked after, in the peak season, can earn one 10 to 15 sacks of onion.
For those who want to buy land. A 50×100ft costs between Shs4m and Shs5m, while 100×100ft plot is between Shs10m and Shs12m.

Onion market
James Musiime, a farmer from Buryabuzi Village, says one bundle of onion is sold at Shs3,500 in the local markets.

During the peak season, one sack of onion at farm price is between Shs150,000 and Shs250,000.
Musiime says buyers come from as far as Kampala, Jinja and even Kenya. Harugongo has a weekly market that operates on Mondays. Buyers from Kampala and other areas outside Harugongo sleep over.

While some farmers wait for buyers to come to them, others hire trucks to transport their produce to Kampala and Fort Portal Town in Kabudaire Market.
The onion farmers lack proper storage facilities for the onions, and say there is a need to preserve them well because they are perishable.

Well, if you are looking to invest, here is a gap that you can fill as you mint lots of shillings from investing in proper storage facilities for these farmers and accommodation for buyers from distant areas, or in onion farming itself.

Anther Kagenzi, an investor in the area, constructed the Prek Lodge that offers accommodation for people who visit the area. A single night is Shs10,000.

The onion business boom has led to the rise of local eateries in Harugongo. A plate of food costs between Shs4,000 and Shs5,000.
Anna Kemigisa, an eatery owner, says on market days, she earns more than Shs100,000 from selling food. The income has helped her pay school fees for her children.

Security
Harugongo has one police post located in Nyatamboma Parish.

Water
The main challenge here is access to clean water in some parts of the area. Thankfully, National Water and Sewerage Cooperation is in the process of connecting the area to piped water in some villages, so this should not scare you from investing in Harugongo.

Schools and health
The area has no government secondary school, but it has a primary school (Harugongo). However, there are private schools for both secondary and primary levels. For health facilities, there is Nyatamboma Health Centre III and private clinics.

Road network
Godfrey Musumba, the Sub-county chairperson, says the area has a good access roads, with first class murrum on roads such as Mpinga-Buryambuzi, Nyatamboma, Harugongo-Nyabukara, and Buryambuzi-Kanyakoko.

Other commercial crops
Apart from onion growing, the area supports growing of irish potatoes, carrots, cabbage and bananas.

Grace Ajuna from Busaiga Parish, says Irish potatoes are also marketable in Harugongo. During peak season, one can harvest 15 to 20 sacks on an acre. A sack of Irish potatoes costs between Shs100,000 and Shs150,000 in the local market. Like onions, the potato buyers come from across the country.