Uganda’s Cotton Farmers Cut Out Middlemen, Reap Bigger Rewards

Cotton growers in eastern Uganda are ditching village middlemen and selling their harvests directly to ginneries, either on their own or as part of collective groups. This shift is giving farmers far more control over how their cotton is weighed, when they get paid, and who they sell to. The new model is also opening doors for women in the region. Instead of watching their seasonal earnings disappear into the pockets of intermediaries, these farmers are now converting their cotton profits into long-term gains. The money is being used to pay for education, buy land, build homes, and invest in productive assets that lift entire households out of subsistence. By removing the middle layer, farmers are keeping a larger share of the value from their own labor. The result is a stronger hand at the negotiating table and a more direct path from field to market.