By Alfred Opio
PALLISA — Pallisa District Woman Member of Parliament Catherine Achola has urged residents to embrace commercial agriculture through coffee and cocoa growing as a long-term solution to poverty affecting many households in the district.
Achola made the remarks while addressing mourners during the burial ceremony of the late Muzei Daniel Emurwon at Kaile Village in Kibale Town Council.
Speaking to residents, the legislator noted that although Pallisa District is blessed with fertile soils and hardworking people, many families continue to struggle financially because they largely depend on subsistence farming.
According to Achola, subsistence farming remains important for household food security but cannot adequately solve financial challenges because most of the produce is consumed at home rather than sold commercially.
“Many people in Pallisa grow crops mainly for feeding their families and remain with very little surplus for sale. That is why poverty continues to persist in many homes,” she said.
The Woman MP explained that many residents have failed to transition into modern commercial agriculture that can generate reliable household incomes and improve livelihoods.
She therefore challenged farmers to change their mindset and begin treating agriculture as a business capable of transforming families economically.
Achola also discouraged residents from heavily depending on cotton farming as their primary cash crop, arguing that cotton no longer provides reliable financial returns to farmers as it did in the past.
She pointed out several challenges associated with cotton growing, including unstable market prices, delayed payments, high production costs, and exploitation by middlemen.
“Cotton farming today has many disadvantages. Farmers spend a lot on labour and pesticides, yet after harvest many end up earning little because of poor prices and delayed payments,” she explained.
According to the legislator, many families that have relied on cotton for years have remained trapped in poverty despite investing heavily in the crop.
Instead, Achola encouraged residents to venture into coffee and cocoa farming, describing the crops as more profitable and sustainable in the long term.
She noted that coffee and cocoa have both local and international markets capable of generating stable incomes for farmers.
“Coffee and cocoa are profitable crops with ready markets. Once properly managed, they can transform households through improved incomes,” she said.
Achola explained that coffee farming offers long-term benefits because the crop continues producing for several years after planting.
She noted that growing international demand for coffee creates opportunities for farmers to earn better incomes that can support education, healthcare, and improved living conditions.
The legislator also highlighted cocoa farming as another promising enterprise capable of improving livelihoods in Pallisa District.
She explained that cocoa can be grown on relatively small pieces of land while still generating consistent income due to increasing global demand.
“Cocoa farming can also create employment opportunities for youth and women through harvesting, drying, and marketing,” she added.
Achola further called upon local leaders, agricultural extension workers, and development partners to intensify sensitization campaigns encouraging farmers to adopt profitable cash crops.
She urged government agencies to support farmers with quality seedlings, training, and market access to ensure successful implementation of commercial agriculture programs across the district.
“If our people embrace commercial agriculture through coffee and cocoa growing, poverty levels in Pallisa will gradually reduce and households will improve economically,” she emphasized.
Residents who attended the burial welcomed the legislator’s message, with many acknowledging the growing economic challenges facing farming communities due to declining returns from traditional crops.
Some community members expressed optimism that diversifying into coffee and cocoa farming could improve household incomes and create employment opportunities for young people in the district.
Leaders in Pallisa now hope that increased investment in commercial agriculture will help transform the local economy and reduce poverty among rural communities.
