Excitement as coffee prices hit record highs

For the first time in many years the coffee prices are quite high and very motivating. The harvesting season for the crop is just about to start and it is expected to be a very challenging period for the farmers. 
Harvested coffee cherries are almost as good as cash and considering that currently the prices are good  --- at around Shs11,000 per kilogramme of FAQ (KASE) --- protecting the crop from thieves is likely to be a big challenge.

During the night when the farmers are sleeping in their houses thieves often sneak into their garden and steal the crop. Coffee theft also occurs in the drying yard when members of the homestead are away – perhaps attending a burial, or a church service. In many cases the members of the household too steal coffee and sell it secretly.

Right now some people, pressed by financial difficulties, are already engaging in bad practices such as harvesting unripe coffee cherries, drying them in hidden places and selling them to unsuspecting traders, which is greatly condemned by Joseph Nkandu, executive director of National Union of Coffee Agri-businesses and Farm Enterprises (NUCAFE). 
“The practice compromises the quality of our coffee and moreover unripe coffee cherries don’t weigh much which reduces the farmers’ income since the coffee is sold in kilogrammes,” he says.

How to protect your coffee  
Nkandu who is also a commercial coffee farmer in Bunjakko, Mpigi District tells Seeds of Gold that he has mobilised farmers in that area to be vigilant during the coming harvest season. “If there is any time when the local council security committees are to prove their relevance, that time is now,” he says. “As coffee farmers in the Bunjakko area we are holding meetings also attended by the police at every village and discussing what measures to take to protect our crop. Last week we were in Munyonyo Village where as farmers we agreed that nobody should transport coffee at night. We also agreed that all farmers should monitor each other to ensure that nobody harvests unripe coffee and that all harvested coffee is dried on clean surfaces like cemented floors, mats, and tarpaulin. We also resolved to make frequent farm patrols to guard our gardens.”

Pick only red cherries 
Some farmers are tempted to harvest both red and green coffee all at once out of the fear that if they wait too long for all the cherries to ripen, thieves might steal the entire crop from the garden. Nkandu however said no farmer should pick green coffee berries at whatever cost.
Anthony Ssekaddu, production manager of Kibinge Coffee Farmers’ Cooperative Society, has also said that farmers must exercise extra caution during this harvest period --- strictly monitoring the labourers who pick the coffee from the trees, and watching its transportation from the plantation to the store and the drying yard. 

“The labourers know that the crop on which they are working is so valuable at Shs30,000 per basket,” he said. “Yet the labourer is paid perhaps just Shs3,000 for each basket of coffee harvested. He could choose to hide a few baskets if the farm owner is not watching. More attention must also be paid to its drying and storage because in many cases it is not just the labourers that steal the coffee. Even family members like grown up children who might want to buy things like phones or clothes, particularly in homesteads where the husband does not transparently spend the money earned from coffee. Even some wives may steal the coffee to offset some domestic needs.”

Storage 
Ssekaddu advises farmers to make sure the coffee is kept in strongly secured stores to minimise burglary. He further warned that coffee may be stolen from drying yards which he says should be well guarded. 
He also discloses that some coffee farms belonging to Kibinge Coffee Farmers Cooperative Society are protected by armed guards who keep patrolling the farms day and night. Frequent farm inspection should be done around this time so that when theft of coffee is noticed police dogs are used to trace the suspects.

Shaffic Ssenyimba of Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), says, “Coffee farmers are preparing for a time of prosperity and abundance. However despite the excitement about a bountiful yield and current high prices there is a looming threat of coffee theft from gardens and drying yards, as well as the ever present danger of exploitation by middlemen. Farmers must take proactive measures to safeguard their crops and livelihoods.”

Fence your farm 
Ssenyimba recommends erecting sturdy fences around the perimeter of their gardens to keep away intruders.  He says ideally there should also be lockable gates to the farms. He further recommends hiring guards or establishing community patrols to keep watch over the coffee. “Installing motion-sensor lights and alarms can startle intruders and alert farmers and authorities about potential theft attempts,” he goes on to say. “Encouraging neighbouring farmers to collaborate in monitoring each other’s gardens and establishing a network of mutual support can enhance security and foster a sense of community ownership.”

Ssenyimba further says that coffee drying yards are vulnerable to thefts and it would be good to enclose all drying areas in a strong fence. He also suggests the use of surveillance cameras and hiring guards to monitor the drying yard.  “It is also good to promptly collect the dried coffee beans and store them in secure facilities to minimise the window of opportunity for theft.”

Market 
To minimise exploitation by middlemen Ssenyimba recommends that farmers familiarise themselves with current market prices from UCDA websites and platforms as well as demand trends in order to negotiate fair prices for their coffee. 
He goes on to say that joining or forming cooperatives can amplify farmers’ negotiating power when dealing with middlemen. “Collective action enables farmers to negotiate better prices and terms for their produce,” he says.
He suggests to farmers to insist on written contracts that clearly outline the terms of trade, including pricing, quality standards, and payment schedules. 

“This ensures transparency and accountability in transactions. It is also good to explore alternative markets and value added opportunities to reduce dependency on middlemen. Farmers should form groups and cooperatives and sell directly to exporters or local specialty coffee shops. This can help farmers to bypass intermediaries and maximise profits for themselves.”
Another way for coffee farmers to avoid exploitation by middlemen is to have a weighing scale so that they know how much their coffee weighs. In their groups farmers should strive to get their own moisture meters so that they are sure how dry their crop is before the traders come up with their faulty weighing scales and moisture meters to deceive them and pay them less claiming their crop is not the right weight and right moisture content level.

The law 
Ssenyimba goes on to disclose that UCDA is currently sensitising coffee farmers and traders about the National Coffee Act to make sure that the law is properly followed by both coffee farmers and the traders. 
He says that so far the sensitisation has been carried out in Lwengo, Sembabule, Bukomansimbi, Masaka and Kalungu districts.