Challenges and Opportunities of Oil Palm Production in Uganda

Abstract

Oil palm, a lucrative vegetable oil crop in the world, showed promising adaptability to some agroecologies in Uganda from studies carried out in the 1970s resulting in first commercial establishment in 2005 in Bugala Island, Kalangala district. Further, adaptability studies continue to reveal suitable areas for commercial oil palm production in the country. The infant industry faces an array of challenges, both biotic and abiotic especially in regard to smallholder farmer field management and build-up of pests and disease in the face of climate change both in the nuclear estate and smallholder farmers’ fields. The rapid build-up of devastating diseases such as Fusarium wilt of oil palm and Ganoderma trunk rot in Uganda is an interesting scenario since they are often expected from second-phase plantings in other areas in the world. However, it may be attributed to the all-year-round weather suitability to pests and disease build-up on native or alternative hosts in most agroecologies in Uganda. This difference from other oil palm producing regions in the world has resulted in recently initiated oil palm Research in Uganda to focus on developing local solutions to challenges facing oil palm farmers in the country.