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Table 10:KeyChallenges andproposed solutions: Production
IdentifiedChallenges
Proposed solutions
Farmers are inmost casesnot prepared to receive seedlings and
that is why at the time of delivery of plantingmaterials, fields
are not yet prepared.
Set up committees to assess readiness of farmers to receive planting
materials.
Availabilityofpoorqualityplantingmaterialsfromunregistered
coffee nurseries on themarket.
Capacitybuildingof local producer organizations to ensure certified
quality plantingmaterial is produced.
Low production due to pests and diseases
(BlackCoffeeTwigBorer (BCTB) andCoffeeWiltDisease)
Farmers should institute proper management programs of farms
through improved agronomic practices like cropmonitoring, timely
spraying, proper feeding andwatermanagement.
Effectsof climatechangewhichhave led toprolongeddrought.
Limited/ lack of enforcement of bye-laws to stop tree cutting
and use ofwet lands.
Empower local/village leaders and producer organizations to get
involved in promoting climate change mitigation strategies like
shade tree planting.
Unstable coffee prices throughout a given season.
Facilitate access to credit facilities to cover the period when the
farmers are yet to earn from the coffee due the long production
process.
Use of poor qualityweighing scales by buyers.
UNBS should increase on the number of staff and open up offices
in rural areas.
Limited monitoring and evaluation of the coffee farmers by
UCDA.
Empower local village leaders to get involved in M&E of coffee
farmers so as to enhance coffee quality at the lowest level.
Lack ofmarket information by coffee farmers
Capacity building of producer organization leaders and improved
communication with export companies and UCDA to provide
market information
Fake and expired pesticides on themarket.
Enforcing trade regulations to regulate fake in puts especially
pesticides on theUgandanmarket.
Expensive inputs.
Provision of credit facilities to cover the period when
the farmers are yet to earn from the coffee due the long
production process.
·
Strengthen savings and credit component of coffee farmers
·
Assist input dealers to incorporate a credit component for
coffee farmers
·
Advance payment for inputs by farmers (buyer check off)
·
Bulk purchase through producer organizations from
wholesalers
Source: Surveydata
3.4.4 Measures required toachieve sustainability
Sustainability is a function of social, economic, technological
and ecological themes. The concept encompasses social
equity (equal opportunity, in a safe and healthy environment),
community development (empowering individuals andgroups
of farmers by providing them with the skills they need to
effect change within their communities). These skills are
often created through the formation of large farmer groups
working for a common agenda. Social responsibility is a duty
every individual (farmer) has to perform so as to maintain a
balance between the economy and the ecosystems. The
ecological sustainability of human settlements is part of the
relationshipbetweenhumansand their natural, social andbuilt
environments. This is evident when farmers cut down forests
toplantmorecommercial cropswithout putting inplaceplans
to sustain the natural environment.
As more opportunities unveil for increased supply of coffee
seedlings, the following measures are proposed to achieve
sustainability;
(i)
Free distribution of seedlings should gradually be
phasedoutand farmersasked tocontributeanominal
fee to access the coffee seedlings
(ii)
Local coffee technical/leadership committees should
be established in all coffee growing areas to assess
and verify the need of more planting materials by
farmers. Thiswill involve assessment for availability of
land, readiness (diggingproper holes, preparationsof
compost manure and establishment of shade trees)
to receive the plantingmaterials.
(iii)
Periodicmonitoring and evaluation should be carried
out to assess the coffee field performance, mortality
ratescausedbydiseases likeCWD toestablish future
demand of seedlings for replacement or expansion
of fields.
(iv)
Politiciansshouldbase theeffectivedemand forcoffee
seedlings on the technical/leadership committee
reports to reduce wastage of high numbers of
unplantedmaterials left unattended toby the farmers.
(v)
StrengthenUCDAcoffeeextensioncapacity fromone
personper fivedistricts toonepersonper districtwith
improved transport facilities.
