Lira, Uganda | Farmers in Northern Uganda have been urged to shift from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture as a strategy to improve household incomes and reduce poverty.
Speaking on Thursday, March 12, 2026, Gloria Okol, Director of Agrisol Africa Limited, a farm input dealership located at City Mall along Olwol Road in Lira City, said many farmers in the region are still relying on traditional farming practices that limit productivity.
Akol noted that for years, farmers in Northern Uganda have struggled with limited access to high-yielding crop varieties, particularly maize and beans.
“For a long time, Northern Uganda has been challenged by the lack of quality, high-yielding seeds, especially for staple crops like maize and beans,” Okol said.
She advised farmers to adopt improved seed varieties such as Bazooka and Tembo, which she said are widely demanded in regional markets across East Africa due to their quality and taste.
“Regional buyers prefer these improved varieties because of their quality. When you produce what the market demands, you are more likely to earn better income,” Okol explained.
She cautioned farmers against relying entirely on traditional seed varieties if they aim to compete in commercial markets.
“If you want to remain subsistence farmers producing only for food, you can continue with the traditional approach. But farmers who want to grow economically must adopt improved methods and technologies,” she said.
Addressing concerns about the destruction of crops by pests such as the fall armyworm, Okol advised farmers to practice crop rotation to disrupt pest cycles and maintain soil fertility.
“If you plant maize this season and rotate with crops like beans the next season, it helps break the life cycle of pests and also improves soil fertility,” she said.
Founded more than five years ago, Agrisol Africa Limited has been supporting farmers in Northern Uganda by supplying farm inputs and providing guidance on appropriate planting seasons and modern farming practices.
The company operates from City Mall along Olwol Road in Lira City.
