How Farmers Are Turning Trees into Long-Term Income and Stability

In Lugwar Parish, Palabek Ogili Sub-county in Lamwo District, neat rows of freshly planted seedlings now cover a once-open 1.5-acre piece of land. To most passers-by, they are still too young to mean much. But to John Paul Okeny, they represent a carefully planned future shaped by training, discipline, and new knowledge gained through the IFPA-CD Woodlots Programme, where the Environmental Conservation Trust of Uganda (ECOTRUST) led community engagement and farmer training as part of a wider consortium.

“I have seen people getting money from trees,” Okeny says, standing at the edge of his newly established woodlot. “After the training by ECOTRUST, I decided to make my land work for me. I want the money from these poles to help me pay school fees for my children.”

Before the programme, tree growing in Okeny’s community was largely informal, scattered planting, little spacing, and no clear link to market demand. That changed after he participated in ECOTRUST-led training sessions under the IFPA-CD Woodlots Programme, a World Bank-supported initiative implemented through a consortium of partners to promote commercial tree growing in refugee-hosting districts.

For Okeny, the biggest change was not just receiving seedlings, but learning how to treat trees as a long-term business.

He now manages clonal eucalyptus and Tectona grandis (teak), locally known as black teak or Sudan teak.

“I planted eucalyptus clonal and black teak,” he explains. “From the training we got, I am planting these for poles within three years.”

Through the programme, he received 856 teak seedlings and 494 clonal eucalyptus seedlings, which he planted about three weeks ago. But he says the real value came from the knowledge on how to manage them.

ECOTRUST field teams trained farmers in hands-on forestry establishment techniques, focusing on how to properly prepare land for woodlots.

Farmers were introduced to three main methods of land preparation, clean weeding, slash weeding, and controlled chemical weeding using herbicides such as Weed Master. These methods were demonstrated in the field to ensure farmers could establish clean planting sites and reduce early competition between weeds and young trees.

“We were taught that weeds compete with trees for light, water, and nutrients,” Okeny says. “If you don’t control them early, they suppress the seedlings.”

The training also emphasized correct herbicide use, including proper dilution and timing, to ensure effectiveness without damaging seedlings.

Another key lesson from ECOTRUST training was plantation design, particularly lining and pitting, where farmers are guided on how to plant trees in straight, evenly spaced rows.

The recommended 3 by 3 metre spacing ensures proper tree growth and long-term productivity. It allows about 450 trees per acre and makes future management, including weeding, thinning, and harvesting, more efficient.

For Okeny, this structure brought clarity and confidence.

“Now I can look at my garden and know exactly how many trees I have and what I will get in future,” he says.

Technical guidance shared through the programme also helped farmers understand the economic differences between tree species.

Under the programme, clonal eucalyptus is a scientifically improved variety designed for faster growth. It is propagated artificially and develops lateral roots that efficiently absorb nutrients from the upper soil layers, enabling faster maturity, typically within three to five years.

Teak (Tectona grandis), by contrast, is a slower-growing hardwood species that takes between eight and fifteen years to mature under good management but produces high-value timber.

“Clonal eucalyptus gives quick returns, while teak builds long-term value,” explains regional coordinator Denis Emmanuel Oweka.

Beyond his own farm, Okeny has become a local reference point for other farmers. As a farmer coordinator, he has already shared ECOTRUST training lessons with more than 50 farmers in his community.

“What ECOTRUST taught us, we are now passing on,” he says. “Many farmers now understand that trees are a business.”

The IFPA-CD Woodlots Programme is designed to increase tree cover while also linking farmers to real demand, particularly in refugee-hosting areas where there is consistent need for timber, poles, and fuelwood.

For farmers like Okeny, this proximity to market is a key motivation.

“We are near the refugee settlement, so if you have trees, you already have a market,” he says.

Despite the optimism, tree growing is not without challenges. Eucalyptus seedlings require careful early management and are sensitive to drought. Teak demands patience and long-term commitment before returns are realized.

Even weed management, introduced through training, requires discipline. Poor timing or incorrect herbicide application can affect early survival and growth.

And then there is the biggest challenge of all, time. Trees do not offer instant returns, and farmers must invest years of care before harvest.

Although Okeny is optimistic about his woodlot, he also reflects on the time-bound nature of development projects.

“It is sad that the project is coming to an end and some farmers may not benefit fully,” he says.

Still, he believes the most important impact of ECOTRUST’s involvement is not just the seedlings, but the knowledge that will remain long after the programme ends.

“These trees will help us make money, improve our livelihoods, and help us build better houses,” he says.

As he walks through his newly planted woodlot, the seedlings sway gently in the wind, still small, still vulnerable, still years away from harvest.

But in Okeny’s eyes, shaped by ECOTRUST training, they are already something else entirely, a growing investment, quietly turning time into opportunity.

 

In Lugwar Parish, Palabek Ogili Sub-county in Lamwo District, neat rows of freshly planted seedlings now cover a once-open 1.5-acre piece of land. To most passers-by, they are still too young to mean much. But to John Paul Okeny, they represent a carefully planned future shaped by training, discipline, and new knowledge gained through the IFPA-CD Woodlots Programme, where the Environmental Conservation Trust of Uganda (ECOTRUST) led community engagement and farmer training as part of a wider consortium.

“I have seen people getting money from trees,” Okeny says, standing at the edge of his newly established woodlot. “After the training by ECOTRUST, I decided to make my land work for me. I want the money from these poles to help me pay school fees for my children.”

Before the programme, tree growing in Okeny’s community was largely informal, scattered planting, little spacing, and no clear link to market demand. That changed after he participated in ECOTRUST-led training sessions under the IFPA-CD Woodlots Programme, a World Bank-supported initiative implemented through a consortium of partners to promote commercial tree growing in refugee-hosting districts.

For Okeny, the biggest change was not just receiving seedlings, but learning how to treat trees as a long-term business.

He now manages clonal eucalyptus and Tectona grandis (teak), locally known as black teak or Sudan teak.

“I planted eucalyptus clonal and black teak,” he explains. “From the training we got, I am planting these for poles within three years.”

Through the programme, he received 856 teak seedlings and 494 clonal eucalyptus seedlings, which he planted about three weeks ago. But he says the real value came from the knowledge on how to manage them.

ECOTRUST field teams trained farmers in hands-on forestry establishment techniques, focusing on how to properly prepare land for woodlots.

Farmers were introduced to three main methods of land preparation, clean weeding, slash weeding, and controlled chemical weeding using herbicides such as Weed Master. These methods were demonstrated in the field to ensure farmers could establish clean planting sites and reduce early competition between weeds and young trees.

“We were taught that weeds compete with trees for light, water, and nutrients,” Okeny says. “If you don’t control them early, they suppress the seedlings.”

The training also emphasized correct herbicide use, including proper dilution and timing, to ensure effectiveness without damaging seedlings.

Another key lesson from ECOTRUST training was plantation design, particularly lining and pitting, where farmers are guided on how to plant trees in straight, evenly spaced rows.

The recommended 3 by 3 metre spacing ensures proper tree growth and long-term productivity. It allows about 450 trees per acre and makes future management, including weeding, thinning, and harvesting, more efficient.

For Okeny, this structure brought clarity and confidence.

“Now I can look at my garden and know exactly how many trees I have and what I will get in future,” he says.

Technical guidance shared through the programme also helped farmers understand the economic differences between tree species.

Under the programme, clonal eucalyptus is a scientifically improved variety designed for faster growth. It is propagated artificially and develops lateral roots that efficiently absorb nutrients from the upper soil layers, enabling faster maturity, typically within three to five years.

Teak (Tectona grandis), by contrast, is a slower-growing hardwood species that takes between eight and fifteen years to mature under good management but produces high-value timber.

“Clonal eucalyptus gives quick returns, while teak builds long-term value,” explains regional coordinator Denis Emmanuel Oweka.

Beyond his own farm, Okeny has become a local reference point for other farmers. As a farmer coordinator, he has already shared ECOTRUST training lessons with more than 50 farmers in his community.

“What ECOTRUST taught us, we are now passing on,” he says. “Many farmers now understand that trees are a business.”

The IFPA-CD Woodlots Programme is designed to increase tree cover while also linking farmers to real demand, particularly in refugee-hosting areas where there is consistent need for timber, poles, and fuelwood.

For farmers like Okeny, this proximity to market is a key motivation.

“We are near the refugee settlement, so if you have trees, you already have a market,” he says.

Despite the optimism, tree growing is not without challenges. Eucalyptus seedlings require careful early management and are sensitive to drought. Teak demands patience and long-term commitment before returns are realized.

Even weed management, introduced through training, requires discipline. Poor timing or incorrect herbicide application can affect early survival and growth.

And then there is the biggest challenge of all, time. Trees do not offer instant returns, and farmers must invest years of care before harvest.

Although Okeny is optimistic about his woodlot, he also reflects on the time-bound nature of development projects.

“It is sad that the project is coming to an end and some farmers may not benefit fully,” he says.

Still, he believes the most important impact of ECOTRUST’s involvement is not just the seedlings, but the knowledge that will remain long after the programme ends.

“These trees will help us make money, improve our livelihoods, and help us build better houses,” he says.

As he walks through his newly planted woodlot, the seedlings sway gently in the wind, still small, still vulnerable, still years away from harvest.

But in Okeny’s eyes, shaped by ECOTRUST training, they are already something else entirely, a growing investment, quietly turning time into opportunity.