Cocoa thrives in Lango sub-region, defying traditional beliefs

Dokolo, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Cocoa, a perennial crop often associated with West Africa, is thriving in Uganda’s Lango Sub-region, challenging long-held beliefs that the crop cannot flourish in the area due to unsuitable weather and soil conditions. For years, farmers in Lango dismissed cocoa as a “West African crop,” believing that the region’s rainfall patterns and soil quality couldn’t support the evergreen plant. But two years ago, Trinity Mixed Farm proved otherwise by piloting six acres of cocoa in Dokolo District — and the results were promising.

Located in Regorego Trading Center, Trinity Mixed Farm began producing and distributing cocoa seedlings to interested farmers, accompanying the distribution with training in cocoa farm management. Today, many of the early adopters are beginning to see hope in their investments. One such farmer is Samuel Abili, who started with 400 seedlings about one and a half years ago, “to test the waters.”

Now, he has expanded to two and a half acres, intercropped with banana (matoke), which serves both as shade and a source of income. “It happened that our cultural leader, Frederick Ogwal Oyee, had six acres of cocoa in his village in Dokolo. So he encouraged clan members to take it up. I was among the first to heed his advice — he gave me some seedlings, and I bought the rest,” said Abili. Some of his cocoa plants have begun flowering, while the banana is already yielding income.

“Because cocoa will take about two and a half years before I get any fruit or pods, I’ve started selling matoke. It’s helping me to hire workers to maintain the plantation,” he explained. Abili praised his clan leader for sharing the opportunity, describing cocoa as a reliable retirement plan due to its low maintenance.

“I was also tired of growing these other crops. They are expensive — first digging, second, third, planting — all that requires money. With cocoa, I’m left with mainly weeding. So, the cost has reduced considerably,” he added. With nearly 10 acres of fenced land, Abili plans to expand further.

To boost production, Abili hopes to introduce an irrigation system and acquire a reliable means of transport, which remains a challenge.

Experts say that with good farm management practices and the region’s loamy soil, favorable temperature, altitude, and annual rainfall — similar to West Africa — Lango is well suited for cocoa farming. Of the 300 farmers profiled by Trinity Mixed Farm, 147 currently have thriving cocoa plantations.

Solomon Adim, a cocoa trainer and manager of Trinity Mixed Farm, says farmers are embracing the crop at various scales. “I have farmers who have planted 100 seedlings; others have one acre, two acres, up to 10 acres,” he said. He encourages farmers to start small and expand gradually.

“We advise farmers to balance their farms. If you have four acres, dedicate two to cocoa and two for food crops. Sam has done this very well — he grows millet, maize, cassava, and is steadily expanding his cocoa acreage,” Adim added. Having visited Abili’s farm, Adim was impressed with the management practices on display and urged other farmers to learn from him.

“We normally recommend a maximum of three banana stems per hole. Sam has followed this practice. I was amazed to see some banana suckers removed and set aside.” Adim called on community members to embrace cocoa farming as a path to economic transformation.

Another farmer, Benson Otim, has planted two acres of cocoa since 2024. He credits his farm’s success to the use of organic fertilizers.

As Chairperson of the Upper Nile Organic Cocoa Farmers Cooperative Society, Otim urged other farmers to join the cooperative to access better markets.

Not all farmers have had a smooth journey, however. Sylvia Rose Okene, a resident of Ober Kampala in Lira City West Division, has faced setbacks due to prolonged dry spells. She lost her first cocoa seedlings and had to replace them at high cost.

Sylvia now advises fellow farmers to invest in irrigation systems to counter drought.

As more farms approach the harvesting stage, Trinity Mixed Farm is shifting focus to training on post-harvest handling and marketing. “We are moving into training on harvest, post-harvest management, and marketing. We also have youth trained to support farmers in daily management.” Cocoa begins bearing fruit around two years after planting and can be harvested twice a year. With good management, farmers can earn up to 13 million shillings per acre annually.

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