Busoga farmers rallied to grow Grevillea Robusta trees

The Iganga District Production Officer, Dr Moses Baligeya (left) hands over 30 Grevillea Robusta tree seedlings to Mr Paul Kakaire at Nasuti Village, Nambale Sub-county last week. Centre is Ms Brenda Yariwo from One Acre Fund. PHOTO/PHILIP WAFULA

What you need to know:

  • Grevillea Robusta trees take between 12 to 14 years to grow and can be planted in banana or coffee plantations and other food crops, if scattered.

The National Forestry Authority [NFA] has rallied farmers in Busoga Sub-region to grow more of Grevillea Robusta trees.

Mr Michael Kusuro, the Eastern regional manager of Uganda’s body responsible for managing the country's Central Forest Reserve- made the call at Nasuti Village, Nambale Sub-county in Iganga District where about 450 famers received 30 Grevillea Robusta tree seedlings from One Acre Fund [OAF].

OAF is a social enterprise that supplies smallholder farmers in East Africa with asset-based financing and agriculture training services to reduce hunger and poverty.

According to Mr Kusuro, Grevillea Robusta trees take between 12 to 14 years to grow and can be planted in banana or coffee plantations and other food crops, if scattered.

He added that their excess branches can be pruned for firewood and land demarcation.

Ms Daisy Atukunda, the OAF Government Relations Lead said by partnering with stakeholders like NFA, they have trained the farmers in mulching, water patterns and planting compliance, adding that the trees can be planted anywhere and used as garden border trees.

“This year, 13,000 farmers were beneficiaries of 337,000 tree seedlings.  Our target is to give out 1.7 million tree seedlings by 2024 and we are rooting for a 70 percent survival rate when we visit the farmers in the next three-four weeks,” she said.

Ms Atukunda added that “globally, they are known for food security and in all the work they do, they look to get the farmer out of poverty if it can be through giving them maize or groundnuts.” 

She observed that OAF had been giving maize to farmers in Busoga for eight years until Covid-19 struck with negative implications. 

“However, our farmers have to move away from the mindset of maize and find another crop like agroforestry. It’s just a shift from food crops to cash crops,” she emphasized. 

Ms Irene Namulondo, one of the beneficiaries, said she has land on which she is going to plant the trees.