Hope Development Initiative

In the North of Uganda, women are traditionally excluded from owning land. This lack of women empowerment is coupled with overall poor farming methods, a lack of quality agro inputs, and limited access to extension services. These disadvantages limit the agricultural potential in Northern Uganda and poverty sustains.

HDI introduced rice as a new crop in Amolatar district with a strict focus on women as farmers. HDI provides the inputs, technical farming services and a guaranteed market for the rice growing. So far, HDI has already partnered with thousands of women. With the income generated from these rice sales, the first group of women have already become land owners and thus achieved economic independence.

The company sells the milled rice to wholesalers in Kampala, South Sudan and Kenya. It also charges a minimal fee for farmers to rent tractors and milling machines.