More than 20,000 farmers, traders trained on coffee quality

Justin Gidu, a Senior Six leaver, packs coffee into a sack in Bakhawe trading centre, Manafwa District. Proper post-harvest handling helps maintain the quality of coffee. PHOTO BY JOSEPH KATO

A total of 20,000 farmers and traders in Manafwa, Bududa, Sironko and Mbale districts have been trained on coffee quality.
At the training, which was conducted by Usaid Feed the Future’s Commodity Production and Marketing Activity (CPM), farmers were cautioned against drying coffee on bare ground and harvesting half-ripe berries as these practices affect the quality.
“Don’t keep coffee in houses shared by animals or in places where you keep oils, fuel and water. Ensure the store is dry and clean all the time,” cautioned Amos Kisigi, the vice chairman, Uganda Coffee Traders and Processors Association.
Christine Kiwanuka, CPM’s business advisor, asked the farmers to embrace the cost-sharing programme where they can get inputs such as pulpers and pumps.
“We have a programme where you contribute half and CPM contributes the balance.”

On his part, Ronnie Mulindwa, the quality assurance officer, Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), urged traders to stop illicit practices like mixing coffee with dust and husks purposely to increase on weight.
Ugandan coffee was losing out on world market, something he attributed to fraudulent traders.
“Our coffee used to be one of the highly graded and respected on world market. This is no more because of traders who mix it with dust, husks and stones.”
To streamline the business, UCDA plans to act tough on unscrupulous traders.
“If any trader fails to adhere to the set standards, he or she will be fined Shs1m or imprisoned for three months or both,” Mulindwa warned.
However, the farmers also criticised UCDA and coffee exporters for not conducting regular sensitisation programmes and setting prices.

“In Kampala, a kilogram is at Shs5,000 but traders in this area pay us Shs4,000 per kilogramme. We ask you to set a standard price for our coffee,” one of them, Francis Wagidoso, said.
In response, the officials challenged farmers to revive rural cooperative unions, which will help in sourcing good markets and in addressing their challenges.
“We are in a business where every trader maximises profit. Besides, the quality of your coffee matters a lot as far as price is concerned. However, all these issues can be addressed if you had unions,” Kisigi said.
Coffee remains a major forex earner with more than $500m last year. In August last year, Mr Henry Ngabirano, then UCDA’s Managing Director, said Uganda had already collected $349m in the first half of the year.

Statistics show that coffee is the biggest foreign exchange earner after tourism and remittances from Ugandans living abroad.
The government’s projection for coffee exports by 2020 is six million bags. Currently, the annual exports stand at 3.5million bags.