Acholi Sub-region Targets One Million Hectares of Coffee Gardens

2 May 2025, 2:00 pm

By Otim Moses

The Acholi sub-region is poised to become a major coffee-producing hub, with plans to expand coffee gardens to one million hectares within the next three years. This ambitious target is backed by the Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) program, which aims to boost coffee production and improve the livelihoods of farmers in the region.

According to Sylvia Damalie Owori, the Director of Operation Wealth Creation, the program is working closely with various government agencies, including the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (MAAIF), the National Coffee Research Institute (NACORI), the Ministry of Water and Environment, and the Ker Kwaro Acholi Kingdom, among others.

She explained that to achieve the target of one million hectares of coffee gardens, the OWC program has initiated several key activities, including mobilization of Coffee Farmers: The program has started mobilizing willing coffee farmers in the region, providing them with training and support to improve their coffee production skills, provision of Coffee Seedlings: The program is providing coffee seedlings to farmers, which will help increase coffee production in the region. And also a plan of drilling of boreholes: To mitigate the effects of climate change, NACORI will identify 3,000 coffee nursery bed operators who will have boreholes drilled in their respective areas to ensure a steady water supply.

Owori noted that coffee farming is expected to have numerous benefits for the Acholi sub-region, including: Economic Growth because Coffee farming is a lucrative venture that can generate significant income for farmers and contribute to the region’s economic growth.

According to Retired Brig General John Charles Anywar, the Operation Wealth Creation director for Coffee, Tea, and Cocoa, planting coffee on land can help prevent land wrangles and sales, as it provides a tangible and valuable asset. “Once coffee is planted on a particular land, no one else will come to claim that land,” Anywar explained.

Williams Komakech, the Lamwo Resident District Commissioner, has challenged extension workers handling coffee farmers to lead by example. “It will be unfair for an extension worker to be without a coffee garden but instead look somewhere else,” Komakech said. He urged extension workers to establish their own coffee gardens as demonstration gardens, which will not only inspire farmers but also provide a practical example of coffee farming best practices.

He also concluded that the Acholi sub-region’s target of one million hectares of coffee gardens is an ambitious but achievable goal. “With the right support and investment, coffee farming can become a major driver of economic growth and development in the region, improving the livelihoods of farmers and their families” Komakech disclosed.

Sisto Oyet Ocen, the Lamwo District Chairperson revealed that the OWC program’s collaboration with various government agencies and stakeholders will be crucial in addressing the challenges associated with coffee farming and capitalizing on the opportunities presented by this lucrative venture.

He said there is also a need to wipe away the myth which he claimed had been planted on the mind of the Acholis that their land is not suitable for coffee Farming.