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Up to 70 percent of arable land in northern Uganda remains unused, an official from the Ministry of Finance has revealed.

Ms Bridget Nimungu, an economist in the Policy Development and Research Department of the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development, said on Monday that only 30 percent of the land in the Lango and Acholi sub-regions is currently utilised. These sub-regions together cover 28,522 square kilometres.

Speaking during the Zonal Analytics and Policy Advisory Updates presentation for the Acholi Sub-region at the Regional Local Government Budget Consultative Workshop for FY 2025/2026 in Gulu City, Ms Nimungu said 78 percent of the region's 2.04 million people still rely on a subsistence economy.

“Less than 30 percent of land in Acholi is under cultivation, which is quite low compared to the average landholding size. Most of the population remains in a subsistence economy, leading to minimal productive land use,” she said.

Ms Nimungu attributed this underutilisation to communal land ownership and adverse climate conditions.

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