Tobacco is one of the most controversial agricultural products in the world
because of the health risks it poses to producers and consumers. Despite this controversy global Tobacco consumption standards at over 1 billion cigarettes per day according to the World Health Organization. The consumption is projected to reach 1.6 billion cigarettes per day by 2025.
Tobacco in Uganda
Tobacco is one of Uganda’s major foreign exchange earners ranking among r coffee, cotton, and tea. The major player in tobacco production in Uganda is BATU. The tobacco production in Uganda is in excess of 18,000 tons per annual.
Areas that Grow Tobacco
The key areas that grow tobacco include:
- West Nile,
- Bunyoro-Mubende,
- North Kigezi-
- Rukungiri and
- Lira/Middle North.
- Masindi-Hoima area of the Bunyoro-
- Mubende region, ,
- Kibaale
- Arua
- Kiryandongo
Tobacco Varieties Grown in Uganda
- Air cured Tobacco (burley) which is dried in open air
- Dark fire cured is dried by fire and smoke
- Flue cured Tobacco is by heat through flue pipes
Disadvantages of Tobacco production in Uganda
Tobacco farmers would gladly move to another option because tobacco is labour intensive and it occupies the farmer throughout the year. Tobacco growing is also said to bring about health hazards associated with Tobacco growing. A number of tobacco farmers suffer from health hazards related to tobacco like persistent coughs, chest pains, low birth weight babies among others.