Vanilla theft: Farmers move to stamp pods

Sector players have advised vanilla farmers to stamp their names or put serial numbers on individual vanilla pods in their gardens in order to curb theft of immature beans. 

Since March, vanilla farmers countrywide have been faced with theft of immature beans that has resulted in some hiring armed guards while others are sleeping in the gardens to protect their crops. 

In Bunyangabu District, some vanilla farmers have been killed by armed thugs while trying  to protect their gardens.

But Mr Peter Musisi, the chairperson of Vanilla Farmers Association in the Greater Masaka sub-region, says marking vanilla pods has proven helpful to farmers in some countries.

“We have seen it [stamping names or serial numbers  on vanilla pods  ] working  in Madagascar. Thieves fear touching stamped pods,this is what we are encouraging  our members  to adopt,” he said on Monday.

Mr Musisi said some farmers hiring private guards are incurring a lot of costs as they pay Shs900,000 per month yet vanilla takes seven months to mature.

“Those [guards] using arrows ask for Shs400,000, and this is also expensive.” he added.

Mr Henry Kimera, a vanilla farmer in Kyotera District, said the use of inscriptions on vanilla pods may save them from sleepless nights and hefty security costs.

“If this idea of putting inscriptions on vanilla pods works, it will definitely save us from the rampant theft of immature beans,” he said

Mr Kimera revealed that many farmers have since March been picking their pods prematurely to avoid losing everything to thieves.

“We are trying any possible solution to make sure thieves are not able to steal from us,” he emphasised    

Mr Amos Lubelenga, the chairperson of  vanilla farmers in Rakai District, said: “We have to try whatever advice given to us  to safeguard our crops. We have suffered enough and ready to do anything to protect our livelihood.” 

Mr Ssejja Lotan, the chairperson of Mukono Vanilla Association, said: ‘‘I hope it will help us track those mixing immature vanilla with good one. This will equally improve the quality of vanilla on market.’’ 

Mr Ssejja asked the government together with the Buganda Kingdom to consider promoting vanilla farming as they have effectively done with coffee.

Mr Edward Kisubika, another vanilla farmer from Ntenjeru-Kisoga Town Council in Mukono said he will promote the new innovation.

Mr Aga Sekalala, a vanilla processor and exporter through Uvan (U) Limited, said although inscribing vanilla pods is one of the measures that can help curb theft, implementing it is costly.

“As key players in vanilla business, we welcome the idea only if the government is ready to assist farmers in implementing it. Farmers are already battling price fluctuation and hefty costs of security guards; they may hardly afford,” he said.

He said there have been limited government efforts to promote vanilla growing compared to other cash crops like coffee.

Background

In 2019, vanilla farmers asked President Museveni to allow them acquire  guns to protect their gardens  against thieves. The President rejected the idea of giving guns to untrained civilians and instead tasked the army leadership to train an auxiliary force of Local Defence Units (LDUs) to guard vanilla fields. Some LDUs have since been deployed to guard vanilla fields in various districts but the cost of hiring them is high.

Compiled by Al-Mahdi Ssenkabirwa, Ivan Ssenabulya & Wilson Kutamba