agriculture 3 April 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Rural Ugandan Farmers Embrace Horticulture to Combat Hunger and Poverty
In Yumbe District's Orionji B and Invetre villages, smallholder farmers, especially young women, are shifting from staple crops like maize and cassava to fast-growing vegetables and watermelons, boosting food security and incomes. Supported by local agribusiness and development programs, they leverage fertile valley soils for multiple harvests yearly. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/magazines/farming/how-rural-farmers-are-turning-to-horticulture-to-fight-hunger-5412900
Deep in Yumbe District’s Lodonga Sub-county, villages like Orionji B and Invetre are witnessing a farming revolution. Once reliant on slow-maturing staples such as cassava, sorghum, and millet, residents faced chronic hunger from poor yields and erratic weather.
Now, fertile black loamy soils in wet valleys are yielding cabbages, tomatoes, watermelons, and greens. Young women aged 15-35 lead the charge, tending crops that mature in just three months, enabling three harvests per year.
Farmers like Rukia Dawa recall seasons of near-zero harvests from traditional crops. Today, her cabbages promise quick cash from abundant markets, easing family burdens like school fees and medical bills.
Sherifa Abiria, who once survived on one meal a day, now grows her own vegetables for nutrition and surplus sales. Naima Fikira in Invetre harvests watermelons using solar-powered tech, eyeing Shs3 million in earnings from Shs20,000-per-fruit sales.
The shift gained momentum through Omia Agribusiness and AFARD, teaching spacing, composting, mulching, and pest control. Groups formed under these initiatives started small plots, scaling to commercial viability.
Omia Agribusiness MD Iganachi Razaki emphasizes profitable farming for education and health. SIYEP Program Director Joyce Wanican highlights training 80,000+ West Nile women via MasterCard Foundation funding, promoting modern tech for better lives.
These villages showcase resilience, with greener fields replacing monocrops, diverse diets, and steady incomes transforming communities.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)