More than 85% of the population in the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains depends on farming for a living.

 This has even increased due to the availability of the green gold (vanilla) a very lucrative business in Kasese given its prices that have been steadily increasing over time.

 Despite being profitable, vanilla farmers are still not satisfied comparing prices at local level and the international market.

 Mr. Masereka Hamisi Asuman is a vanilla farmer in Kiburara village, Kisinga sub-county in Kasese district who believes in order to enhance and catch up with the international vanilla market values; they ought to sell vanilla products instead of pods.

 Hamisi also stressed that as vanilla farmers they are threatening by the cases of theft, which as farmers have tried to fight, but would also need government intervention.

 Salt TV speaking to the chairperson Lc1 Kyarumba 1 cell Mrs. Mbambu Zonnet also decried the same problem of vanilla theft saying it has increased the number of widows and orphans in the area as husbands or fathers have been killed trying to guard their vanilla gardens.

 Zonnet who also supported the idea of constructing a vanilla processing plant in the area said they have got land where the factory can be constructed and therefore asked government to come to their rescue.

 The Resident District commissioner Kasese district Lt. Joe Walusimbi reaffirmed that government has the plan however what will be done is getting a good place to erect the plant; but also most importantly he noted is providing good quality vanilla.

 Talking matters of security, Lt. Joe Walusimbi noted that they are seeing a way of eradicating the issue of vanilla theft in the area once and for all.