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Cocoa growing is one of the cash crops that can earn Uganda a lot of foreign exchange, a cocoa investor in Uganda, Mr Philip Betts has said.
“Uganda has a lot of advantages over other countries of the world in cocoa production because of its fertile soils and good weather,” Mr Betts said on Friday.
Mr Betts told Daily Monitor that the current 11, 000 tons (0.03 percent) of cocoa that Uganda contributes to the world’s 3.5 million tons is far below its capacity.
Mr Betts is the Managing Director of M/s Edmund Shulter and Company Ltd (ESCO U Ltd), a company that deals in the growing and exportation of cocoa, vanilla, moringa and red pepper in Uganda.
He said cocoa can grow well in the districts of Bundibugyo, Mukono, Mayuge, Kibaale, Iganga and Mpigi among others. “If the quality and quantity of cocoa are improved, the cash crop can be one of the leading foreign exchange earners in Uganda” he said.
Uganda competes with Ivory Coast which produces over 3 million tons (30 percent) and, Indonesia 500, 000 tons (1.4 percent) and Ghana 600, 000 tons (1.7 percent) among others.
He advised the government to help cocoa farmers to adhere to modern methods of farming. The coordinator Support for Tea/Cocoa Seedlings Project in the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries, Mr John Mwanga Musisi said that cocoa export is one of the fastest growing in the country.
He said by November, 2009, Uganda produced over 13, 800 metric tons of cocoa which fetched US $ 41.1 million (Shs 92,466,793,152). Musisi said that according to this year’s projections, Uganda is expected to produce 15, 000 metric tons that will fetch US $ 46 million (Shs 103,499,985.30).
Bundibugyo District produces 80 percent of the cocoa grown in Uganda.
Cocoa growing is one of the cash crops that can earn Uganda a lot of foreign exchange, a cocoa investor in Uganda, Mr Philip Betts has said.
“Uganda has a lot of advantages over other countries of the world in cocoa production because of its fertile soils and good weather,” Mr Betts said on Friday.
Mr Betts told Daily Monitor that the current 11, 000 tons (0.03 percent) of cocoa that Uganda contributes to the world’s 3.5 million tons is far below its capacity.
Mr Betts is the Managing Director of M/s Edmund Shulter and Company Ltd (ESCO U Ltd), a company that deals in the growing and exportation of cocoa, vanilla, moringa and red pepper in Uganda.
He said cocoa can grow well in the districts of Bundibugyo, Mukono, Mayuge, Kibaale, Iganga and Mpigi among others. “If the quality and quantity of cocoa are improved, the cash crop can be one of the leading foreign exchange earners in Uganda” he said.
Uganda competes with Ivory Coast which produces over 3 million tons (30 percent) and, Indonesia 500, 000 tons (1.4 percent) and Ghana 600, 000 tons (1.7 percent) among others.
He advised the government to help cocoa farmers to adhere to modern methods of farming. The coordinator Support for Tea/Cocoa Seedlings Project in the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries, Mr John Mwanga Musisi said that cocoa export is one of the fastest growing in the country.
He said by November, 2009, Uganda produced over 13, 800 metric tons of cocoa which fetched US $ 41.1 million (Shs 92,466,793,152). Musisi said that according to this year’s projections, Uganda is expected to produce 15, 000 metric tons that will fetch US $ 46 million (Shs 103,499,985.30).
Bundibugyo District produces 80 percent of the cocoa grown in Uganda.
