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UgandaCoffee Federation
this is theeasiest stage
though its sustainability is
questionable asGovernment
priorities can change anytime.
Currently thegovernment
supplies the farmerswith the
coffee seedlings and these
aremajorly the small holder
farmers but the survival rates
arebelow the 50% and this
could trigger reconsideration
of thepolicy. Theprocessors
andexporters havemastered
their art and attest that even
if thecountry producedmore
than20millionbags there
will be sufficient capacity
toabsorb andmarket it so
the challenge falls back at
production level.
While some farmersmay
havea negativeperception
about theprofitability of
coffee enterprise, and
thereforearebetter off doing
other enterprises, the fact
remains that most of them are
individualswhogrowcoffee
passively and thenexpect
big returns. Coffee like any
other ventures need attention
for instancewhowould not
tend tohis cowwhen it falls
sick or look for water and
grass during thedry season,
if the same carewas given
to coffee it wouldalsogive
the required returns on
investment.
What weask of Government is
tomake fertilisers affordable
enough for small holder
farmers, and train them in
makinggoodorganicmanure,
maintaininggoodagriculture
practices, promote shade
trees and collecting run-off
water for production. Think
holistically about infrastructure
investments, so that they form
a core of a strategy to link
smallholders to the rapidly
growing formal economy.
And theCorporates and
other individualswhowant to
venture in coffeeproduction,
you have the land andwe are
willing towelcome youwith
open hands but you need to
know that coffee is not just a
hobby but abusinesswhere
you can reapbig if you invest
strategically.
It is evident that there is
an inherent value incoffee
production, and at the same
time it canbeprofitablebut
what we need is tounlock
it so that wecan realize the
Government Vision 2020.
Transformation of the coffee sector has tobe led
by theprivate sector. This includes venturing into
CoffeeNursery, coffee farming, coffee trading
(aggregators/ middlemen) processing, exporting
and roasting.
