A coffee processing plant constructed by Government under the Ministry of Local Government with support from the Islamic Development Bank through the Local Economic Growth Support Project in Nakaseke district is set to be commissioned.
The plant is located at Kikwata Village in Nakaseke Sub County in Nakaseke district .
During a stakeholders meeting held at Kikwata farmers of KiMuKa ( Kigegge Mifunya Kasambya) Coffee Farmers Cooperative led by Alosyius Kamya said the facility will be of great benefit to farmers.
He said that lack of a processing factory in the district has affected them due to high transportation costs to the neighbouring districts for processing and cheaper prices of coffee set by middle men they usually sell to which is demotivating farmers.
"We have been selling it to the middle men who set cheap prices ranging from shs5000 to shs7000 per kilogram and this is making many farmers lose interest in growing coffee."
With this new development, farmers applauded government for the factory noting that this is highly going to boost their produce as well as earnings.
"By having this factory here in Kikwata means we are going to sell our coffee directly to exporters and it is going to boost our earnings as farmers," Kamya added.
Farmers further added that they are looking forward to employing more youths and women in their farms such that their production is increased to feed the factory.
The technical advisor and project team leader from the Ministry of Local Government , Assumpta Tibamwenda said farmers in the region expressed need for the factory and one of them offered land which motivated government to build this factory and it will be fully equipped by July.
"This is a coffee growing area and they needed to process their coffee. Farmers have been processing it in Luwero which is costly and they are not even allowed to pick their husks to help them in their gardens which is disturbing," Tibamwenda noted.
She urged farmers to grow more coffee to feed the plant.
The Resident District Commissioner for Nakaseke district Rosemary Byabasaijja applauded government and Islamic Development Model for the support but asked farmers to join cooperatives ..
" The moment they join Cooperatives, it will be easy for the government to support them and many of them will be able to change their lives through growing coffee."
