Terego farmers are moving away from tobacco to banana farming
Farmers and local residents in Terego district have expressed excitement over the transition from Tobacco to Banana production.
Farmers and locals in Terego have been stuck to growing tobacco as their main source of income, an activity that has had far-reaching implications on the environment due to excessive use of fertilizers. But area leaders have commenced a transition from traditional tobacco-growing to high yielding and drought resistant banana production as both food and cash crops.
Terego Woman MP Rose Obiga who sourced the high breed banana varieties from parts of south and western Uganda told Uganda Radio Network that her intervention aimed at addressing the persistent hunger and human labour burden that the people of Terego have suffered from growing tobacco over the years.
The residents who received more than 30,000 stems of high breed banana varieties from the Woman MP at the district headquarters in Leju, said they are now more hopeful about the food security in the area as opposed to the situation during the time, they spent growing tobacco.
Herbert Jurua, the acting agricultural officer and head of the production department in Terego district said that most of their farmers remained hopeless after the exit of Alliance One, the company which was purchasing their tobacco leaf. Jurua explained that they will follow the recipients of the banana suckers and expand on the acreage for bananas in every homestead.
Terego Resident District Commissioner Modesta Ajilog Bessi said the introduction of Banana growing in Terego will help address the issue of food security and urges farmers to guard it jealously and follow the best practices of banana production.
According to the leaders in the Terego district, once Banana production picks up, the farmers will also be introduced to coffee growing as an additional cash crop and this according to them will enhance household incomes to 20 million Shillings per year per household.
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