Otuke farmers gain better prices with new milling hub
Storage facility at Otuke Town Council established to improve production
By Patrick Okino
Farmers in Otuke District have welcomed the establishment of a milling and storage facility, saying it has reduced cheating by middlemen, cut transport costs, and minimized the theft of money earned from produce sales.
Macdonald Ojok, chairperson of the Otuke Town Council Farmers’ Cooperative and Credit Society, said farmers previously sold their rice and maize cheaply to middlemen, incurred high transport costs to Lira City, and sometimes lost their earnings to thieves.
He noted that since the facility was set up by the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA), farmers now enjoy better prices—sh3,000 per kilogram of milled rice—access clean maize flour, and no longer pay for transport.
“There is already a market here for the rice, and farmers no longer have to travel to Lira to face challenges of theft and exploitation by middlemen,” he said. Ojok made the remarks during an SAA field visit on Wednesday.
Ojok, whose cooperative has 1,000 members, added that farmers can now process their grains both for home consumption and for income generation.
“This facility is for the community, and our hope is to manage it well so that rice and maize production increases,” he said.
The facility, established with funding from Japan, is one of several one-stop centers set up by SAA to enhance access to inputs, strengthen market-oriented agriculture, improve storage, and promote value addition and climate-smart farming practices. According to program officer Oliver Nabiryo, the centers cost sh1.9 billion to establish in 18 locations across the country.
Mildred Akidi, a records assistant at the SACCO, said they mill between 700 and 1,000 kilograms of rice per day, and those who choose to sell are paid sh3,000 per kilogram.
She said their main challenge is that the mill runs on a generator, and they are working to secure a transformer to ensure uninterrupted operations.
Isaac Okwir, a farmer from Omanabunga village in Alebtong District, said he produced 500 kilograms of rice in 2024 but sold it cheaply because it had no added value.
He almost gave up farming, but last year, after joining the cooperative, he produced 800 kilograms and earned sh1.4 million.
Molly Auma of Adwongibutu Village, Otuke, said she previously had to transport her rice to Lira to find a better market, earning minimal profit. With the new facility, she no longer pays sh10,000 to transport each bag of produce.
Nabiryo explained that the one-stop center concept is designed to support cooperative members by offering milling, bulking, and storage facilities, along with services that improve production and marketing.
She added that the centers have uplifted communities by providing training on post-harvest handling, helping farmers access reliable markets, and enabling them to bulk their produce to secure premium prices for high-quality grains.
