Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Operation, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba Praises Teso Sub-Region’s Transition from Cotton to Citrus Farming

Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Operations and Chairman of the MK Movement, on 15th August 2023 praised the Teso sub-region for adopting citrus farming over cotton. He commended their decision during the MK Movement Baraza in Soroti, mentioning that farmers can now earn up to Shs12 million per acre from oranges. He acknowledged the shift from cotton and shared plans to enhance the operations of the Teso Fruit Factory in partnership with South Korea.
Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Operations Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba on 15th August 2023 praised Teso sub-region for agreeing to the government’s proposal to switch from growing cotton to citrus farming.
“I thank farmers of Teso for citrus fruit farming,” said Gen Kainerugaba who was speaking Tuesday 15th 2023 at the MK Movement Baraza held at Soroti Sports Ground. “Government introduced citrus farming as a replacement of cotton.”
Gen Kainerugaba, who is also the chairman of the MK Movement, noted that a farmer is now able to make Shs12 million per acre from oranges way more than they’re earning from growing cotton.
“We thank you for taking up orange farming,” he said, adding that he was informed that the Teso sub-region currently has 8 million orange trees. “Thank you for listening to the government,” he said.
In 2019, Teso Fruit Factory was commissioned in partnership with the government of South Korea through the Korea International Cooperation Agency and the Teso Tropical Fruit Growers Cooperative Union to bring more value to the farmers. However, the factory wasn’t able to operate to maximum capacity due to challenges in line with management and capacity to operate it.
Gen Kainerugaba assured Teso that plans are already in motion to boost operations and address these challenges. “However, the government is in talks with private investors to restructure the factory operations,” he said, adding that money has also been set aside to invest in the process of restructuring.
He thanked the South Korean government for partnering with the government of Uganda “in the entire” citrus farming value chain. “I urge them to keep it up,” he said, adding: “I believe problems being faced… for example, fake pesticides on the market, expensive fertilizers and low prices will be resolved.”
He also advised against the practice of land fragmentation because it hinders the creation of generational wealth. “Please stop this practice,” he said.
“If you continue with land fragmentation, you are going to make it difficult for your grandchildren,” he elaborated, adding that “no serious agricultural production can happen on small pieces of land.” “Keep the land together in family farms,” he said.
History with Teso
Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who was happy over the numbers that turned up for the Baraza, started his speech by sharing his history with the Teso sub-region, having been there for some months in 2003 with a military unit dubbed Motorised Infantry Battalion of PGB that was deployed by President Yoweri Museveni to eliminate LRA rebels from the area.
According to Gen Kainerugaba, who revealed that he slept in a tent at Soroti Flying School, they faced off with Charles Tabuley, who was a commander of an LRA outfit at Acuna, as he was moving from Otuboi to Amuria. They had set an ambush at Acuna to block him.
According to the General, Tabuley’s outfit was shelled and it dispersed. The other time they exchanged fire with Tabuley’s group was when he set an ambush at Atirir. Tabuley was defeated again and he was eventually killed in Anyara sub-county in Kaberamaido.
“So, nobody has to educate me about Teso,” he said, adding: “We are thankful for the peace all of Uganda is enjoying… days of insurgence, rebellions, IDC camps, massacres…are behind.”
Gen Kainerugaba said he met military commanders in the region and from the briefing he learnt that the orchestrators of insecurities in the region are reducing. He thanked security agencies and the community of Teso for their commitment to supporting the government in rooting out criminals.