Dokolo, Uganda | A farmers’ cooperative in Dokolo District has announced plans to construct a permanent 500-metric-ton storage facility to address rising post-harvest losses and improve produce management.
The Kwera Youth Oil Seed Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited, based at Abuli trading centre in Kwera Sub County, currently relies on rented satellite stores scattered across villages.
Its main storage facility can only accommodate 25 metric tons.
With over 2,000 members producing soybeans, maize, and sunflower, the cooperative says the rented stores are not only inadequate but also pose financial and security risks.
General Manager Musa Aluka noted that the increasing harvest volumes had overwhelmed their facilities.
He explained that the cooperative’s small store could not handle the produce, and the use of multiple rented stores was risky since they had only one security guard.
He added that some of the rented facilities leaked, leading to losses due to poor storage conditions.
Aluka further said the cooperative was mobilising funds locally but admitted the contributions from members might not be enough.
He mentioned that they were also seeking support from private banks, donors, and other well-wishers to realise the construction of the new store.
District leaders welcomed the initiative, saying it would boost farmers’ incomes and reduce exploitation.
Francis Ogwal Nam, Secretary for Production, Marketing, Natural Resources, and Local Economic Development in Dokolo, stressed that the district would direct any available support towards building proper stores.
He pointed out that reliable storage would encourage bulking and limit the influence of middlemen, who often took profits that should have gone to farmers.
He also advised farmers to embrace agriculture as a backbone of wealth creation and to adopt income-generating projects that could strengthen household resilience.
Kwera Subcounty LCIII Chairperson David Adim Awany also urged residents to invest in cooperative development.
He argued that working together through cooperatives would increase household incomes and reduce exploitation by middlemen.
He added that as plans for the large store are underway, unity among members would help them achieve their goals.
The cooperative already provides services such as tractor hire, agro-input sales, soybean seed multiplication, and maize shelling.