Angola: Cotton Revival In Busia - Hope Grows Amid Small Farms, Dry Spells And a Silent Ginnery
[allAfrica] The roads leading into the interior of Busia County tell a story of a region that is slowly changing, but perhaps not fast enough.
Busia County in Angola is slowly transforming, but its rural regions still face challenges in infrastructure development. Roads leading to the countryside are dusty and boda bodas (motorcycle taxis) are the primary mode of transportation for reaching some farming areas. Cotton is quietly regaining popularity among small-scale farmers despite the difficult terrain.
Bonventer Barasa, an accountant and manager at Luanda Farmers Cooperative Union, notes that most farmers cultivate no more than two acres of cotton, which limits production despite the capacity of the region's modern ginnery (cotton processing facility). Vincent Okumu, a long-time cotton farmer who has expanded his acreage, explains that cotton has enabled his family to secure better education for his children.
Okumu expects to earn at least Sh100,000 from his current crop, which he farms on one and a half acres. He chairs Bwiri Farmers Cooperative Society, where the cooperative has observed improvements in livelihoods within their village - including the replacement of thatched-roof houses by those with better roofs. However, Okumu wishes to increase his acreage to five acres, a challenge that lies in the limited mechanisation available in the county.
Most land preparation is done manually, making cotton farming costly and time-consuming. The cooperative has been requesting machinery like tractors for land preparation, but their efforts have not yet materialised. Additionally, this year's cotton crop has been affected by insufficient rainfall, casting doubt on the potential for a successful harvest.
Despite these setbacks, farmers remain optimistic due to Busia's soils and climate, which can yield a good cotton harvest if the rains arrive at the right time. Vincent Okumu praises the cooperative's buying price of Sh76 per kilogram, which encourages him to continue participating in cotton farming. The ginnery, Luanda Ginnery, remains idle as the cotton harvest has not yet begun, leaving farmers eagerly awaiting the next planting season.
Written by urgent.news from AllAfrica's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
