All the farmers in Okere depend heavily on rain-fed agriculture. However, due to climate change, rainfall patterns have become increasingly unreliable, with prolonged dry spells and extreme heat accelerating evaporation and reducing soil moisture. This has led to significant crop failures, with farmers realizing only 15–20% of their potential yields, intensifying food insecurity and deepening poverty.
Okere City is tackling this crisis through a bold investment in climate-smart and regenerative agricultural practices. Central to this effort is the Okere Agricultural Sustainability and Innovation System (OASIS) project, an innovative solution that provides smallholder farmers with regenerative agriculture support. The OASIS project enables us to support 500 farmers to engage in high-value horticultural production throughout the year, ensuring consistent productivity and income. The project also promotes regenerative agriculture techniques such as composting, low tillage, crop rotation, and agroforestry to restore soil health and boost resilience.
Generally, we are advancing rural livelihoods through sustainable rice farming and honey production, diversifying income sources, and improving nutrition. These integrated interventions are part of a broader strategy to transform agriculture in Okere into a climate-resilient, profitable, and sustainable sector, paving the way for rural prosperity and long-term development.
Simsim/Sesame Value Chain Development
Simsim is one of the agricultural enterprises that thrives in Okere. As part of our agri-business development initiative we promote the development of the simsim value chain in the village by supporting farmers to have access to high quality seeds and a market for their simsim produce.
OKERE CITY SUPER RICE
Okere City Super Rice is a premium organic rice variety grown using sustainable, chemical-free methods in the fertile lands of Otuke District. This unique rice is derived from a resilient local breed that has been carefully preserved and cultivated by generations of farmers in Okere. Known for its rich aroma, superior taste, and high nutritional value, Okere City Super Rice is a symbol of local heritage and food sovereignty. Produced through regenerative farming practices, it supports soil health, biodiversity, and climate resilience while empowering smallholder farmers with fair income and pride in preserving a treasured cultural crop for future generations.
Maize Value Chain Development
In 2021, we partnered with Women Feed Africa, an Israeli company, and Agro Supply Limited to distribute 1,000 KGs of Sungara improved maize seed variety to 200 farmers in Okere on credit.
Okere Irrigation Project
The Okere Irrigation Project is a transformative climate-smart agriculture initiative designed to address the growing challenges of prolonged droughts and erratic rainfall patterns in Otuke District, northern Uganda. In a region where 80% of households depend on rain-fed farming, climate change has drastically reduced crop yields, increased food insecurity, and deepened poverty. The Okere Irrigation Project provides a sustainable solution by offering year-round access to water for smallholder farmers, enabling them to cultivate crops during dry seasons.
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Established on a 7-acre community-owned demonstration farm, the project currently supports 200 rural farmers, giving them access to irrigated farmland and training in modern, regenerative agricultural practices. With a focus on high-value horticultural production, such as vegetables and fruits, the project improves food availability, nutrition, and household income.
Watch this video produced in 2019, 6 years before the project came to life to why the project mattered then, and now.
