ECOTRUST training changes how farmers see trees

What the report says

In Lamwo District in northern Uganda, The Independent Uganda reports that farmer Kenneth Akena is shifting part of his 3-acre plot in Ogili Sub-county from reliance on maize alone to a mix of food crops and commercial trees. Through the IFPA-CD Woodlots Programme run by the Environmental Conservation Trust of Uganda (ECOTRUST), he planted clonal eucalyptus and Tectona grandis, commonly known as teak, with the aim of earning longer-term income from timber and poles.

The article says Akena was among hundreds of farmers trained in community forestry methods. The training covered weed control, safe use of herbicides and pesticides, planting techniques, and spacing. ECOTRUST says these lessons are meant to help farmers protect young trees during their early growth stage and improve survival rates. The report also notes that clonal eucalyptus is favored because it can mature faster than ordinary eucalyptus, while teak takes longer but can produce higher-value timber.

According to ECOTRUST regional coordinator Denis Emmanuel Oweka and Havilah Company Ltd’s technical services director Steve Amooti Nsita, the project encourages farmers to treat tree planting as a business. The model uses pure woodlots rather than mixed cropping, with wider spacing intended to maximize returns. Nsita also said more tree cover can help protect soil and improve the local climate. The broader programme, funded by the World Bank and the Government of Uganda, is being implemented in 19 districts and aims to establish nearly 10,000 hectares of small-scale commercial woodlots.