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Excitement builds as Buvuma oil palm farmers near first harvest
Mr Charles Ssenfuma examines oil palm fruit bunches, almost ready for harvest on August 27, 2024. PHOTO BY DENIS SSEBWAMI
What you need to know:
Out of the 746 hectares, 346 hectares belong to the nucleus estate, while the remaining 400 hectares are managed by outgrowers
Oil palm farmers in Buvuma District are abuzz with excitement as their first-ever harvest draws near. The district, which followed Kalangala in embracing oil palm cultivation, now boasts 746 hectares of oil palm, with the first harvest expected in October.
Out of the 746 hectares, 346 hectares belong to the nucleus estate, while the remaining 400 hectares are managed by outgrowers. According to Mr Wilson Sserunjogi, the project focal person, the oil palm variety supplied to Buvuma farmers grows faster than the ones planted in Kalangala 19 years ago.
“We anticipate high yields in plantations where farmers have diligently tended to their gardens. Those who planted in June 2021 will be the first to harvest,” Mr Sserunjogi said.
As the harvest period approaches, the focus has shifted to training farmers on proper harvesting techniques. “The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture has already requested the district and cooperative leaders to nominate members for the pricing committee, which will set monthly prices for the crops. A weighing bridge has already been constructed at Buwangwe,” Sserunjogi added during an interview on Thursday.
Post-harvest, the fresh fruit bunches will be transported to a mill in Kalangala to produce crude oil, which will later be processed in Jinja City. “We could have used the mill at Buwangwe, but it is not yet complete. In the meantime, we will rely on the mill in Kalangala,” Sserunjogi explained.
Mr Saliimu Iluba Maiso, a farmer from Bukinarwa Village, Buwoya Sub County, planted nine acres of oil palm and expects to harvest half a tonne of fresh fruits. "I’m pleased that some farmers will be on the pricing committee," he said.
Similarly, M. Charles Ssenfuma, a farmer from Walwanda Cell, Buvuma Town Council, transitioned to oil palm cultivation after his coffee garden was devastated by coffee wilt disease. "I planted three acres and expect to start earning in October when my plantation is ready for harvest," he shared.
Buvuma District Chairperson, Mr Adrian Wasswa Ddungu, expressed satisfaction that the oil palm project is already fostering development in the area. "The district council is preparing to enact a by-law to protect farmers and their gardens," he stated.
Oil palm cultivation was introduced in Buvuma District in May 2021, targeting 7,500 hectares, of which 2,500 hectares were earmarked for smallholder farmers. So far, 2,400 hectares have been planted on the nucleus estate, while 502 outgrowers have cultivated 1,700 hectares.
The National Oil Palm Project, which also manages oil palm plantations on Bugala Island in Kalangala District, is responsible for implementing the oil palm initiative in Buvuma.
