The increase in the prices of a kilogram of vanilla has increased insecurity among the people of Bundibugyo who are engaging this activity. Some thieves who steal and sell immature beans thus undermining the quality on the market.
About a decade ago, the price of vanilla, which had reached Shs. 150,000 a kilogram of green beans, nose-dived to almost Shs. 1,000. However, in 2014, it started rising with a kilo ranging from Shs. 2,500 to Shs. 5,000. The price has now reached as high as Shs. 250, 000 per kilogram for green vanilla beans at the farm-gate
In Uganda, districts where vanilla is grown include Kayunga, Mukono, Mpigi, Jinja, Kamuli, Buikwe, Bundibugyo, Luweero and Kasese.
Globally, Madagascar leads in vanilla exports with 1,600 tonnes per year followed by Indonesia and France. Uganda comes in at 12th position with export revenue of $5.7 million, according to the latest (2016) statistics.
The competitive prices have led to a rise in theft cases thus resulting into farmers hiring security guards to guard their vanilla gardens which is costly.
Baleyebulya Fabiono, a farmer in Kitule village in Nyahuka town council says that he decided to engage in the vanilla growing due to its demand on the market. He notes that however, this precious crop has earned them security threats from thieves.
He adds on that after the suffering the farmers go through maintaining the crop since it is tiresome,thieves come and steal the immature beans and the vanilla vines. The thieves come with killing objects like pangas that they use in case the owner of the farm garden tries stopping them.
Fabiono, says that although the farmers have come together to form an association, he asked government to help them with security support so that the farmers are able to gain positive results form their gardens.
Wilson Masereka, a farmer in Busamba 3 woke up on 23rd march 2019 prepared to go to his vanilla farm. Unfortunately, he found out that his vanilla beans had been stolen at night. He reported to the police station but nothing was done.
Rashid Masereka, the chairman of Bundibugyo Nillavan Vanilla/ Coffee Growers Cooperative Society says that the association is the only one in the district has 1,223 registered farmers . He says that it is now two years since the inception of the association.
“Farmers have been able to educate their children, build good houses among others. He notes that most people in the area depended so much on cocoa but unfortunately, cocoa is longer expensive thus not supporting the natives of the district.”
Rashid further says that they arrested recently two vanilla thieves , one of them called Baluku who are imprisoned at Bubukwanga prison for two and half years.He says that the thieves steal the immature vanilla beans
He, however asks government to support them by providing security so that the farmers are able to fight this risky vice of theft.
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