The November 11–13 event in Paidha will showcase priority agricultural value chains, promote market access and attract investment as the district seeks to raise coffee production and household incomes.
Zombo District Local Government will hold its maiden Agricultural Trade and Market Shows and Coffee Conference from November 11 to 13, 2026, at the Kyambogo University Paidha Campus playground in Paidha Town Council, in a bid to promote agro-industrialisation, strengthen market linkages and increase household incomes.
The event will be held under the theme, “Building Climate Resilient Agriculture for Sustainable Agro-Industrialisation and Market Linkages for Wealth Creation”.
It will showcase the district’s agricultural potential across priority value chains, including coffee, bananas, Irish potatoes, tea, cassava, honey, horticulture, aquaculture, dairy and small ruminants. Organisers also plan to promote the district’s tourism attractions and cultural heritage.
The initiative comes as farmers in the highland district grapple with climate change, soil degradation, land fragmentation and low market prices, challenges that undermine productivity and household incomes.
The district hopes the event will help farmers transition from subsistence to commercial agriculture while positioning Zombo as a coffee production and agro-tourism destination in the West Nile sub-region.
Dr Walter Kumakech, the District Production Officer, who read the district’s statement, said the event would connect farmers directly with buyers, processors and investors.
“This maiden Agricultural Trade and Market Show is strategic to showcase the untapped agricultural potential of Zombo District along the value-chains of our key priority commodities, and to create direct market linkages between our farmers and buyers, processors and investors far beyond West Nile,” Kumakech said.
A major focus will be Arabica coffee, which the district seeks to promote through increased production, improved quality and stronger access to domestic and international markets.
Kumakech said Zombo had set a target of increasing coffee production and exports to approximately 61 metric tonnes annually within the next five years.
He said the district planned to pursue the target through the distribution of high-yielding seedlings, fertilisers and other agricultural inputs, alongside improved extension services to reduce post-harvest losses.
Zombo’s highland environment provides conditions suitable for Arabica coffee production, but farmers continue to face constraints, including limited access to agricultural advisory services and markets.
The district has 36 agricultural extension workers serving more than 64,342 farming households, according to figures presented in the event brief. This translates to approximately one extension worker for every 1,787 households.
The organisers intend to use the trade show as a practical learning platform, with demonstrations on soil conservation, climate-smart agriculture and proper handling of agricultural produce.
The event is also expected to bring together farmer cooperatives, financial institutions, processors and buyers to explore opportunities for value addition, improved bargaining power and access to finance.
Many smallholder farmers sell their produce individually, limiting their ability to negotiate better prices and establish reliable commercial relationships. The district hopes stronger market linkages will help farmers improve the quality of their produce and access more lucrative markets.
Zombo’s location along the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo also presents opportunities for cross-border trade through routes such as Goli and Padea.
Organisers hope the event will encourage more formal trade and local processing, creating employment opportunities and retaining more value within the district.
Beyond agriculture, the district plans to showcase its cultural heritage and tourism attractions.
District Tourism Officer Jovian Kayenparwoth said the event would give visitors an opportunity to learn about the traditions and cultural practices of the communities in Zombo.
“The farmers will want to learn with the quality tools but the tourists will be interested in seeing our cultural heritage, where it came from and how it started long ago,” she said.
Kayenparwoth said traditional dances and cultural foods from the Lendu, Kebu, Alur and Lugbara communities would feature at the event.
“We shall have the Lendu, Lugbara, Alur and Kebu showcase not only their traditional dances but also the foods that tell a story about their culture,” she said.
Zombo District LCV Chairperson James Oruna Oyulu said the district leadership intended to make the trade show and coffee conference an annual event and provide for it in future budgets.
“As executives and the technical team we will sit and make sure that we give this event a priority in the budget starting with the upcoming budget conference,” Oyulu said.
Assistant Resident District Commissioner Isaac Wurochi said the event would help connect farmers to investment opportunities and accelerate the transition to commercial agriculture.
“This will help us transit from subsistence to commercial farming and eventually into the money economy,” he said.
Wurochi added that the Resident District Commissioner’s office continued to monitor funds under the Parish Development Model and Emyooga programmes to ensure they reached intended beneficiaries.
He also urged residents to remain vigilant about Ebola, citing Zombo’s proximity to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he said active cases had been reported.