West Nile Leaders Demand Revival of Madi Cooperative Union for Farmer Support

Leaders in the West Nile region of Uganda are strongly advocating for the revitalization of the Madi Cooperative Union. They contend that the union’s defunct status has left local farmers critically underserved, lacking a unified platform for collective marketing, securing loans, and engaging in value-addition activities.

Years of conflict, mismanagement, insufficient funding, and underdeveloped infrastructure have reportedly rendered numerous cooperative societies inactive. This situation is seen as a significant impediment to advancing agricultural commercialization in the sub-region. The concerns were highlighted during a recent visit by the Minister of State for Cooperatives, Tom Aza Aleru, who met with local cooperative leaders and members to assess the current state of affairs and explore potential government assistance.

Officials noted that several primary cooperatives, once affiliated with the Madi Cooperative Union, ceased operations following the civil unrest of the 1980s. There are calls for government compensation for lost assets and property. Additionally, requests have been made for agricultural machinery, such as tractors, to boost cultivation and production for both domestic and international markets. The recovery of encroached cooperative land is also a priority.

Many registered commodity cooperative societies and Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (Saccos) within the Madi Cooperative Union’s umbrella are reportedly non-operational. A major challenge identified is the lack of adequate capitalization, with many societies struggling to serve their large memberships effectively due to limited share capital. Farmers, despite producing significant quantities, often face difficulties accessing profitable markets, leading them to accept low prices from middlemen.

Stakeholders are now debating whether the existing structure of the Madi Cooperative Union can be salvaged or if establishing an entirely new union would be more beneficial. The region possesses considerable potential for expanding agricultural output, agro-processing, and inter-regional trade, underscoring the urgency of a functional cooperative system.

For more details, please see the Daily Monitor.