Grow cotton, make more money

Experts believe the positive response by farmers despite cotton prices falling in 2014 has seen a sharp increase in production.
According to the sector performance report from the agriculture ministry, Uganda’s earning from cotton declined in the 2013/2014 financial year.
Two years down, the crop today is on its way to regaining its position as one of the highest paying cash crops in Uganda.
Since 2014, farms in Lira from smallholder to commercial have been synonymous with cotton stalks. Lira is one of Uganda’s biggest cotton producing districts, the other being Kasese.
Nowander a group of 55 UPDF soldiers attached to 5th Division in Lira District are among the farmers growing cotton on a large scale.
After tasting the sweetness of the money, the soldiers who started with 20 acres two years have expanded and today they count 120 acres.

Demand for cotton
Col Stephen Mugerwa, the 5th Division deputy commander says the money from the cash crop propelled the soldiers to grow cotton.
“There is a lot more money to be made in cotton right now. These soldiers started on a small piece of land but after getting more money they decided to expand,” says Col Mugerwa.
Upon harvest, Col Mugerwa says the soldiers sell the cotton to middlemen after a standard indicative price has been set by the Cotton Development Organisation (CDO).

Profits
Thanks to collective marketing, the farmers have made more money from cotton compared to the returns of 2015.
“In 2015 the returns were not as we expected we made Shs17m. In 2016 that figure quadrupled and the money was big,” says Sgt Frankman Mugisha the group farm manager. David Ogenga a cotton another farmer from Acol-Pii, Lira District, says though the indicative price per kilogramme of cotton seed of Shs1, 000 set by CDC in 2016 was too low, he realised a profit of Shs10m after selling. “The production process is expensive and therefore to get profits, you must apply fertilisers. Spraying pesticides is also a must otherwise you might get disappointed,” says Ogenga.

Best variety
Cotton Development Organisation recommends upland cotton (gossypium hirsutum) which has been improved by scientists at Naro.

Market
Col Mugerwa says UPDF is planning to form an understanding with Uganda Prisons and eliminate the middleman.
According to Mugerwa farmers who will join cooperative societies such as the UPDF/Uganda Prisons farmers’ cooperative society, to market their produce are more likely to double or triple their income due to improved bargaining power.
“Cooperatives offer small agricultural producers opportunities and a wide range of services, including improved access to markets, natural resources, information, communications, technologies, credit, training and warehouses,” says Col Mugerwa. Sgt Frankman Mugisha, a cotton farmer at Acol Pii for instance, has increased his earnings from Shs800,000 to Shs17m per season after joining the 5th Division UPDF farmers’ cooperative society in 2014.

How they started
Sgt Mugisha was deployed to Acolpii barracks 15 years ago, a busy period for the UPDF soldiers when the LRA insurgency was at its climax.
When the insurgency ended a decade ago, he says he was reduced to sit within the barracks but without any other activity to keep him busy or earn from.
That prompted him, Pte Irene Rwelinda and four others to contribute Shs600,000 each to be invested in 30 acres of cotton on the division land at Acolpii in mid-2015.
Guided by Col Mugerwa, he said they contributed at different stages of the cotton project and by the end of that season, they had saved Shs17 million in profits.