Abeja Wants Irrigation Prioritised to Unlock Otuke’s Coffee Potential

What the report says

Parliament Commissioner and Otuke District Woman MP Suzan Abeja has called on the Government to support farmers in Otuke with low-cost irrigation systems and drought-resistant coffee seedlings. Speaking on the floor of Parliament in Kampala, she said the measures are needed to raise coffee production and help farmers cope with prolonged dry spells and increasingly unreliable rainfall.

According to Dokolo Post, Abeja argued that without affordable irrigation technology and resilient planting materials, efforts to expand coffee growing in Northern Uganda could fall short. She urged officials to give Otuke priority in agricultural support programmes, especially those focused on irrigation and coffee development.

Abeja said the proposed interventions would help farmers maintain production during dry seasons and turn President Museveni’s broader push for higher coffee output into practical gains at household level. She also linked the request to wider goals of boosting incomes and strengthening commercial agriculture in the district.

The appeal reflects a broader challenge for farming communities in climate-sensitive areas, where erratic weather can affect crop yields. In this context, irrigation and improved seed varieties are often seen as important tools for sustaining agricultural growth, though the report did not say whether the Government has agreed to the request.