Bukedi farmers abandon millet over falling market prices

Millet, for decades, was the lifeblood of Bukedi Sub-region, with vast stretches of fields of the crop.

However, it is now rare to find the crop, which sustained generations of families in the sub-region. Millet is slowly disappearing, and the decline in its production tells a story of shifting priorities and evolving lifestyles.

When it was still the backbone of Bukedi’s agricultural tradition, residents would gather to harvest millet, with their hands busy separating the grain from the stalks.

It was used to make porridge, bread and local brew, among others.

Mr Arthur Wako Mboizi, an elder and opinion leader, said millet was not just a crop, but it was also part of the sub-region’s cultural identity.

He explained that millet beer, brewed from the grain, was served at gatherings such as weddings and festivals

“But today, this once –staple crop is no longer the dominant feature in the fields of Bukedi. Something has changed drastically,” Mr Mboizi explained.

He further explained that the decline in the production of millet is threatening the culture of Bakedi.

“Farmers have shown little interest to grow the crop, citing poor yields, low commercial value and also labour intensive,” Mr Mboizi said, adding that farmers now grow cassava and sorghum instead.

Mr Joseph Kapule,50, a resident and farmer from Kachomo Sub-county in Budaka District, said: “We used to eat millet daily, and we grew it ourselves. Now, we mostly eat maize or cassava flour or something else,” he said.

Mr Kapule noted the decline in the growing of millet is associated with a number of factors including low yields caused by loss of soil fertility.

Mr George Padere, another farmer, said he prefers growing sorghum and cassava over millet due to its low demand.

“With millet no longer widely cultivated, some households in Bukedi are finding it harder to access a nutritious, locally grown food source,” he said.

Mr Padere added that the reduced production of millet also means fewer opportunities for local businesses that once processed the grain into flour and other products. The price of millet grain currently stands at Shs3, 000 per kilogramme.

Mr John Watala, a health expert and resident of Kamonkoli Town Council in Budaka District, said organisations like the National Agricultural Research Organisation (Naro) should devise ways to revamp the growing of millet .

“There should efforts to promote millet through farmer education, offering better seed varieties to make millet more marketable. Millet is good for our health...It’s also a crop that’s able to survive in our changing climate,” he said.

The executive director of Naro, Mr Sadik Kasim, said they are developing technologies to reduce on labour and other costs involved in growing millet.

“These are the strategies that are lined up to revamp millet growing in the country, especially in those regions where it was a staple crop,” he said.