By James Alomu
The Teso sub-region has embarked on an ambitious campaign to promote commercial coffee farming as a key strategy for fighting poverty and transforming household incomes, with leaders unveiling plans for the Teso Coffee Symposium 2026, scheduled for August 15 at Soroti Mayor's Garden.
The symposium is being organized by Teso Economic Agenda (TEA) in partnership with Cajila Africa Link Institute and is expected to bring together farmers, researchers, policymakers, development partners and agricultural experts to discuss practical solutions for accelerating economic growth through coffee production.
Speaking during the launch, the General Secretary of Teso Economic Agenda, Moses Ariong, said the initiative is a direct response to the widespread poverty that continues to affect the region.
"Teso is still regarded as one of the poorest regions in Uganda, and we believe it is time for the people to embrace commercial agriculture as a pathway out of poverty," Ariong said.
He recalled that at Uganda's Independence in 1962, the country's first Prime Minister, Milton Obote, identified poverty, ignorance and disease as the nation's greatest challenges. Ariong said those issues remain evident in Teso today, where many families continue to survive on low incomes, with some households struggling to afford more than one meal a day.
He explained that the symposium will encourage the Iteso community to adopt coffee farming as an alternative commercial crop capable of generating sustainable income, alongside the livestock enterprises that are already being promoted in the region.
The Chairperson of the Symposium and Executive Director of Cajila Africa Link Institute, Dr. Cosmas Agweta, said Teso possesses vast agricultural land and favorable conditions for commercial farming, yet productivity remains below its potential.
According to Dr. Agweta, the region's challenge is not a lack of capable farmers but limited access to agricultural knowledge, research and modern farming technologies.
He said the symposium aims to bridge the gap between research institutions and commercial agriculture by exposing farmers to improved farming practices, innovations and market opportunities that can increase production and profitability.
Dr. Agweta added that the discussions will also focus on positioning Teso to benefit from the global commercial agriculture industry, noting that overreliance on seasonal crops has left many households vulnerable to fluctuating weather conditions and unstable incomes.
The symposium's Treasurer, Joseph Opolot, said Teso was once recognized as one of Uganda's wealthiest regions and expressed confidence that the promotion of coffee farming could restore the region's economic strength.
He emphasized that improving household incomes would have a positive impact on other sectors, including health and education, as families become more financially secure.
Opolot noted that after assessing various agricultural enterprises, the organizers identified coffee as one of the most promising crops for driving long-term economic transformation across the region.
