Agro consortium supports 838 Kole farmers to mitigate climate risks

27 January 2026, 21:11

By Ambrose Okwanga

Agro Consortium invested over UGX 200 million to facilitate the programme for one agricultural season, which was conducted at the headquarters of the two subcounties. Benson Michael Angella, a resident of Alito Subcounty, expressed his excitement after benefiting from the Crop Insurance programme, which he joined in 2022.

He explained that the programme was introduced after the Member of Parliament for Kole North, Dr Samuel Opio Acuti, studied the impact of climate change on agricultural production in Kole District and linked farmers to the Crop Insurance coordinator for Northern Uganda, who later registered them for funding.

Angella said the initiative is highly beneficial, as it guarantees compensation to farmers whose crops are affected by climate change.

He shared that after paying UGX 66,000 to insure his watermelon crop, he received UGX 338,500 in compensation from the government. Janet Angom, a resident of Alito Town Council, said she paid UGX 20,000 to the Crop Insurance company and later received UGX 129,000 in compensation. She explained that the initiative shields farmers from losses caused by climate instability, assuring them of compensation whenever extreme sunshine damages crops in their gardens.

Farmers have urged leaders across the Lango subregion to extend this initiative to their communities, emphasising that broader access to crop insurance would bring significant improvements to agriculture throughout the region.

Dr Samuel Opio Acuti, the Member of Parliament for Kole North, said that after studying the negative effects of climate change in his area, he decided to link farmers to the Crop Insurance programme, which was initiated by the government eight years ago. He explained that local communities often need guidance and support from their leaders to benefit from the initiative, which is why he took a proactive role.

Opio Acuti said that over 3,000 farmers in Kole North are currently benefiting from the programme and are less affected by climate change due to the compensation they receive. He noted that the initiative has largely benefited farmers in Western Uganda, where 60 per cent are enrolled, compared to only 10 per cent of farmers in the Lango subregion.

He explained that the main challenges are a lack of awareness among communities due to insufficient sensitisation by local leaders, and farmers’ fears that the government might default on payments, even though it allocates about UGX 5 billion annually to compensate participants in the programme.

Boniface Okello, Coordinator for Crop Insurance in Northern Uganda, said the programme is highly beneficial to farmers but noted that only a small number have enrolled so far.

Okello explained that one challenge is that some farmers pay very low premiums, such as UGX 5,000, which results in minimal compensation. He suggested that the government should step in to support farmers so that they can earn a more substantial income from the initiative.