Mango farmers eye larger cut from Yumbe fruit factory

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The Prime Minister of the Aringa Kingdom in West Nile, Fadhil Lemeriga, has appealed for a renegotiation of farmers’ shares in the management of proceeds from the fruit factory located in Lodonga, Yumbe District.

His appeal follows the positive rating given to juice extracts from fruits processed at the Lodonga factory by experts attending a trade show in Kapeeka, Nakaseke district.

Lemeriga argued that the 20% share allocated to the Aringa Fruit Farmers Association in the factory is insufficient, given the high demand for juice made from mangoes harvested in the West Nile region.

According to him, both Britania and Coca-Cola, leading manufacturers of fruit drinks in Uganda, have expressed interest in using the juice extracts from West Nile mangoes for their products.

He further appealed to the people of West Nile to preserve mango trees in their communities to benefit more from mango products.

The Yumbe Fruit Factory was established to process locally grown mangoes, mainly the Kasingiri variety, into pulp for both domestic and international markets.

A public-private partnership involving the Ugandan government through the Uganda Development Corporation (UDC) and Food and Nutrition Solutions (FONUS), the factory experienced significant delays but began operations in late 2024 or early 2025 after being connected to the national power grid.

Its aim is to provide a ready market for local farmers, reduce post-harvest losses, and boost the regional economy by adding value to mangoes.