Shea Trees Initiative
Our plan is to start farming shea trees commercially for cosmetic purposes. Although shea trees grow in the wild, it has never been farmed commercially in northern Uganda. Moreover, shea trees do not grow in the area where our farm is located, namely, in Koch areas.
Sourcing the seeds have been very hard and I have been able to find any nurseries that stock shea seedlings. In northern Uganda, shea fruits are collected by women and dried and the seeds are roasted and made into oil called Moo Yaa. Moo Yaa is one of the most precious oil from northern Uganda. However, Moo Yaa is not suitable for the cosmetic industry due to the overroasts and the strong smell.
West Africa and production of Shea Butter
The process for shea butter in West African countries is the preferred method by the cosmetic. Shea butter from West African countries is widely used in cosmetic products and the market share is worth billions of dollars.
Our Visions and Goals
Opige's Farm's long-term vision and goals are to team up with women in West African countries and learn their methods of producing shea butter that will be suitable for the cosmetic industry and products. We hope to take few women in West Africa and also invite women from West Africa to visit Uganda as a shared learning platform.
- Start planting shea trees in 2022
- Invest in extensive research and training
- Source Shea seedlings from different nurseries in Uganda
- Source Shea seedlings from different nurseries in Uganda