By Emmanuel Opio
 

Teso cannot remain poor simply because we are afraid to try something new. The question is not whether coffee should replace cassava, millet or other staple foods, but whether our farmers should be given another opportunity to improve their livelihoods. For me, the answer is simple: let Teso try coffee.

No one is saying Teso should stop growing food. Food security remains essential. However, embracing coffee as a cash crop should not be interpreted as abandoning food production. Farmers can grow food for consumption while diversifying into crops that can generate income.

Coffee has for decades been one of Uganda’s major foreign exchange earners. Yet whenever its promotion in Teso is discussed, some people dismiss it as a mockery, comparing it to citrus farming or other agricultural initiatives that have not delivered the expected transformation.

Such concerns are understandable, but continuously spreading negative messages about new opportunities can discourage farmers from trying alternatives.

Teso has repeatedly been identified among Uganda’s poorer sub-regions. If growing cassava, millet and other staple crops alone has not lifted our communities out of poverty, why should we reject coffee before giving it a fair chance?

I am not suggesting that coffee is a magic solution or that every farmer must grow it. Rather, farmers who find it suitable should be supported with quality seedlings, extension services, market information and the necessary skills. At the same time, food production must continue.

Economic transformation requires continuous experimentation. Not every initiative will succeed, but failure should teach us rather than stop us from trying. As the saying goes, you cannot reach the top of a tree by complaining that you failed to climb it.

When I was young, I tried to crawl and fell several times. I did not give up despite not knowing that falling was part of learning to walk. Teso, too, must be willing to try, learn and improve.

Fortunately, the region still has considerable agricultural potential and underutilised land. We can therefore pursue commercial agriculture without sacrificing food security.

Coffee may not be the answer for every farmer, but dismissing it before giving it a fair opportunity will not move us forward.

Let us grow our food, embrace viable cash crops and keep exploring opportunities that can improve household incomes. Trying will not kill us; refusing to try may keep us exactly where we are.

The writer is a Communications Officer with Kapelebyong District Local Government.