More than 300 boda boda riders in Ntungamo District are venturing into coffee farming after receiving 30,000 robusta coffee seedlings in a government-backed initiative designed to improve household incomes and reduce dependence on daily motorcycle earnings.
The distribution, carried out at the Ntungamo District headquarters and supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), targets 306 riders. Each beneficiary received at least 100 seedlings to establish small coffee gardens at their homes.
The initiative is intended to help riders diversify their income sources amid rising living costs and the unpredictability of daily transport earnings, with coffee presented as a more stable, long-term investment.
Local leaders say the programme is a starting point given the large number of riders in the district, estimated at about 20,000.
“This program is aiming to increase the income of boda boda households. We are requesting more seedlings because the total number of boda boda riders in Ntungamo is about 20,000. We still need more seedlings. By the end of this year, we are going to follow them so that they plant these seedlings,” said Akim Amwine, LCIII Chairperson of Nyamunuka Town Council and patron of the Ntungamo Boda Boda Riders Association.
Agricultural officials from MAAIF have moved to support the rollout with practical training to improve survival rates of the seedlings, noting that the remaining rainy period offers a critical window for establishment.
Deus Mutabatina, a southwestern agricultural officer from the coffee department, encouraged beneficiaries to take proper care of the plants and adopt simple irrigation practices where necessary to sustain growth.
He advised riders to use available resources, including their motorcycles, to support watering and maintenance efforts during dry spells.
Religious leaders also used the launch to emphasise discipline, planning and household responsibility, urging riders to maximise the opportunity.
Bishop Nathan Ahimbisibwe of the South Ankole Diocese encouraged beneficiaries to commit to coffee farming as a pathway to economic stability.
“Go and plant this coffee, you will be wealthy. Ask for more seedlings and also utilize your motorcycles and all that brings income to your households,” he said.
He added that with proper care, the seedlings could generate meaningful returns within a few years.
“With these 100 seedlings, in three years’ time, you will be earning about 3.6 million shillings or more if you take care of the trees. Look after the coffee as you would flowers, it will do wonders in improving your livelihood,” he said.
The programme reflects a growing government push to integrate informal workers into agricultural value chains, positioning coffee as a key driver of rural wealth creation and household transformation in southwestern Uganda.