Cotton growers in Kasese District are getting hammered by wonky weather patterns and garbage prices that keep tanking, and they want the government to fund research for drought-resistant seed varieties instead of telling them to just quit the crop. Adam Bwambale from the Nyakatonzi Growers Cooperative Union said dry spells followed by random rain bursts wreck their yields, while costs for labor and pesticides keep climbing as returns nosedive.
Agriculture Minister Godfrey Kabyanga basically told small farmers that global markets control cotton prices, and maybe they should switch crops since the business only pencils out for people with huge land holdings. Kasese farmers fired back, saying they want climate-proof seeds and subsidized inputs rather than abandoning a cash crop that kept their families fed for decades.
District agricultural officials warned that desperate growers might start cutting their product with junk to boost weight, which would trash quality and drive prices even lower.
Agriculture Minister Godfrey Kabyanga basically told small farmers that global markets control cotton prices, and maybe they should switch crops since the business only pencils out for people with huge land holdings. Kasese farmers fired back, saying they want climate-proof seeds and subsidized inputs rather than abandoning a cash crop that kept their families fed for decades.
District agricultural officials warned that desperate growers might start cutting their product with junk to boost weight, which would trash quality and drive prices even lower.
