Rukungiri District Boss Urges Farmers to go for Value addition.

Rukungiri: The Rukungiri district LCV Chairperson Geoffrey Kyomukama has encouraged farmers to add value to their crops to increase their earnings.

In an interview with our reporter at the Tree Growers and Timber Traders of Rukungiri offices, located in Kagongo Ward, Western Division of Rukungiri Municipality, Kyomukama on Thursday July 25, 2024 highlighted the need for value addition. He stated that farmers have often been shortchanged in markets when selling their products in raw form to traders.

Kyomukama explained that after harvesting crops such as coffee, beans, maize, matoke, and timber, farmers tend to sell quickly at low prices. However, they could earn more if they processed these goods into value-added products.

He noted that local products are often exported to Europe, America, Asia, and other regions outside Uganda, as raw materials. These are then processed into finished goods and sold back to Uganda at higher prices.

Kyomukama praised the Rukungiri Tree and Timber Traders Cooperative Society for establishing an advanced workshop equipped with quality machines aimed at adding value to timber.