We’ve lost hope - Teso citrus farmers
The loss. Mr Livingstone Omongole (right), an orange farmer in Okapel village, Kobwin Sub-county in Ngora District, picks spoilt oranges from his orchard recently. PHOTO BY SIMON PETER EMWAMU
What you need to know:
- The government and its donor partners zoned Teso sub-region as a citrus growing area, which was boosted with the construction of a mega fruit processing plant, Soroti Fruit Factory.
The fate of citrus farming in Teso Sub-region hangs in the balance after many farmers developed cold feet over the business.
The government and its donor partners zoned Teso sub-region as a citrus growing area, which was boosted with the construction of a mega fruit processing plant, Soroti Fruit Factory.
The factory, whose product Teju (Teso) Juice went commercial after President Museveni commissioned it in 2019, has since gone silent. The farmers now say they have not had any return on investment.
Mr David Ebulu, a citrus farmer in Ojama Parish in Ochokican Sub-county in Soroti District, told this newspaper that there is nothing tangible that has changed since the government operationalised the fruit factory.
“I expected to see them coming around to buy as well as provide some extension services for quality products,” Mr Ebulu said on Monday. Mr Julius Obubula, a citrus farmer with 3,000 orange trees in Asuret Sub-county in Soroti, said the government has failed to provide ready market for their products.
“The factory plan has lost meaning and middlemen have taken advantage of us,” he said, adding that middlemen connive with Kenyan businessmen to frustrate local farmers.
Mr Ezekiel Eituno of Dokolo Parish, Soroti, shares the same plight.
“The factory occasionally gives us orders to supply less than 20 tonnes of the oranges, which is 20 times below our production capacity,” he said.
Mr Eituno added that prices at the fruit factory vary from Shs400 to Shs500 per kilogramme .
“But the supplies to the fruit plant are not frequent ,” he said.
During the time of scarcity, Mr Eituno says Kenyans buy a bag between Shs50,000 and Shs100,000.
Mr Patrick angers Opolot, a citrus farmer in Nyero, Kumi District, said he had to cut down 960 trees of the fruit to pave the way for other farm projects.
The NRM chairperson of Soroti District, Mr Charles Elasu, said: “We need fresh resolutions. If you went there to get a tender to supply fruits to the factory, it would be a miracle from Heaven for you to get an order.”
When this newspaper reached out to the management of the Soroti Fruit Factory, the Chief Executive Officer of the factory, Mr Julius Ekomu, said he was engaged in a series of meetings and “I am not certain when they will end.’’
He added: “You need to know the progress [works] of the factory, which calls for a tour, but I am currently busy.”
