Kayunga farmers turns to Pawpaw, targets CHOGM

Kayunga District is well known as a pineapple land because pineapple seems to be a must grow crop in Kangulumira sub-county, kayunga district. Almost every household has grown the succulent fruit, said Ronald Kizito one of the growers. He tells a different story of frustration and disillusionment that the trend has changed since 2004 that he earned 0.5million from pineapple. The ambitious farmer has embarked on another project of large-scale pawpaw growing. Kizito lamented that if he has to survive the stiff competition, he must diversify. ´I have gone into pawpaw growing because very few people have planted it’, that the crop is on high demand yet with low supply. Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting for example is around the corner, there will be high demand of pawpaw and I will reap big, he said. Kizito expects the first harvest from his 40 trees in February 2007, and also plans to plant more. The earning from pineapple has dwindled because there are very many pineapple growers, and of course the higher the supply, the lower the prices, he explained. The earning from pineapple is no longer regular. In some seasons, he earns only 0.2m and with five labourers the earnings are sliced. To beef up his earnings Kizito now intercrops pineapple with bananas, cassava and pawpaws. Drawing his inspiration from CHOGM, tourism industry also stands to benefit from this.