KAMPALA — Government has warned coffee farmers against poor post-harvest handling practices, saying they are compromising the quality of Uganda's coffee and reducing the country's competitiveness on the international market.
State Minister for Agriculture Desire Muhooza said Uganda can only capitalise on growing global demand for coffee if farmers maintain quality standards from production through post-harvest handling.
"Uganda can only fully benefit from the growing global demand for coffee if farmers observe proper quality standards from production through to post-harvest handling," Muhooza said.
He said practices such as drying coffee on bare ground and harvesting immature coffee cherries continue to lower the quality of Ugandan coffee, resulting in reduced earnings for farmers and lower export revenues.
"Practices such as drying coffee on bare ground and harvesting immature cherries reduce the quality of our coffee, affecting prices and Uganda's competitiveness on the international market," he said.
The minister made the remarks while handing over coffee sorting and processing equipment worth more than Shs7 billion to coffee farmer cooperatives at Kawanda-Namalere in Wakiso District.
The equipment is intended to improve coffee quality by reducing defects during processing and ensuring Ugandan coffee meets international market standards.
Muhooza said improving coffee quality remains a key pillar of the government's strategy to strengthen the sector, increase productivity and improve farmers' incomes.
"Our priority is to strengthen Uganda's position in the global coffee market by improving quality, increasing productivity and enhancing farmers' incomes," he said.
Commissioner for Coffee Development Dr Gerald Kyalo urged the beneficiary cooperatives to use and maintain the equipment responsibly, warning that it could be withdrawn if it is not put to proper use.
"These machines are meant to help farmers improve coffee quality and increase the value of their produce. Cooperatives that fail to use them effectively risk losing them," Kyalo said.
Representatives of the beneficiary cooperatives pledged to use the equipment to improve coffee processing, reduce post-harvest losses and increase household incomes for their members.
"We are committed to maintaining the equipment and using it to improve coffee quality, reduce losses and increase incomes for our members," they said.
Coffee farmers also appealed to the government to make pesticides more affordable to help them combat the coffee twig borer, which they said has significantly affected production in many coffee-growing areas.
"We need affordable pesticides to control the coffee twig borer, which has severely affected our coffee gardens and reduced production," the farmers said.
Uganda is one of Africa's leading coffee producers, with the crop providing a livelihood for millions of households and remaining one of the country's top foreign exchange earners.
