Government Pledges Support for Pineapple Farmers in Nakasongola

What the report says

Government has pledged support for pineapple farmers in Nakasongola District as they seek to expand production, add value to their crop and create more jobs. The commitment was made during a visit to growers in Kawundwe Village by Minister of State for Industry David Bahati and Minister of State for General Duties in the Finance ministry Cissy Mulondo, according to Nile Post.

The ministers met members of Kikyusa Pineapple Farmers Cooperative Society Ltd, which the farmers said brings together producers cultivating more than 640 acres and supporting about 2,000 jobs. The cooperative raised several obstacles to growth, including expensive financing, land disputes, poor roads, weak transport links, limited cold storage and a lack of processing capacity. Pineapple production also takes around 18 months to mature, making market access and value addition especially important for incomes.

Bahati said farmers could tap affordable credit through the Agricultural Credit Facility and Uganda Development Bank, while land concerns would be referred to the Ministry of Lands. He also said government would look at practical ways to support a processing plant, machinery, cold rooms, better transport and wider market access. Mulondo stressed that organized farmer groups are better placed to access finance and build sustainable enterprises.

The pledge is significant because it points to a wider push to move Ugandan agriculture beyond raw commodity sales and toward processing and higher returns for farmers. Nairobi-based background context is not needed here; the report focuses on local efforts to strengthen pineapple value chains in Nakasongola.