Coffee boom: Farmers reap millions from brown beans

Their good fortune was part of the boom in Uganda’s coffee exports between September 2023 and August 2024; these exports earned the country $1.35 billion (Shs4.9t) from 6.39 million 60-kilogram coffee bags.

In Misanvu Village, which is predominantly made up of farmers, mushrooming construction projects and newly purchased cars at the household level define a sharp change from traditional rural lifestyles.

72-year-old Franca Nanjeru, who lives with her grandchildren and owns a 1-acre coffee garden, recently renovated her house.

Despite his age and failing health, Nanjeru continues to supervise coffee production with the help of a hired worker.

“After making good money from coffee sales, I managed to renovate my house. “The price of coffee per kilogram is surprising and inspiring for the farmer after a very long period of low earnings,” he says.

Nanjeru, a member of the Kibinge Coffee Farmers Cooperative Association, says his upgraded house and new piggery project are down to better market rates.

The woman’s reluctance to disclose her exact earnings reflects society’s concerns about security, as farmers fear robberies targeting coffee profits and dried coffee beans.

Mr. Joseph Ssegawa, a 51-year-old farmer living in Misanvu Village, recently bought a long-dreamed family car and expanded his home with improved amenities.

“Good coffee prices have finally made this dream a reality,” he says.

Between December 2023 and May 2024, Ssegawa collected 32 bags of dried coffee beans from his approximately five-acre coffee garden.

“I have a car and my house has a new shade after the attractive prices in the coffee market,” he says.

The success of these farmers is largely supported by the Kibinge Coffee Farmers Cooperative Association headed by Haji Sowedi Sserwadda. The cooperative, with 2,439 members, was instrumental in the society’s transition from subsistence agriculture to commercial agriculture.

Hajj Sserwadda believes that the sudden change in the farmer’s lifestyle from poverty to comfort and even wealth is a sign of hard work.

“While our coffee farmers have recently built new homes, many have also purchased many other portable assets as a result of the coffee boom. We are not old-school farmers anymore. Farmers now drive cars and own luxury homes. Kibinge District in Bukomansimbi is a good example of the new coffee revolution,” he says.

Mr Rogers Sserubombwe, the cooperative’s managing director, adds that although coffee production volumes have remained stable, higher market prices have significantly increased household wealth.

“You can see that the number of newly built houses and the number of cars used by coffee farmers are increasing. Coffee prices and sales are quite good. Kibinge County is rapidly improving in terms of household welfare as farmers earn profits from the sweat of their fields.

“The upside for Kibinge Coffee Farmers Cooperative Association members includes additional training on farm practices, including financial literacy, where members plan their finances after coffee sales,” he adds.

Under the Kibinge Coffee Farmers Cooperative Association, promoting best agricultural practices, improving the quality of coffee, improved the coffee value chain, including a financial literacy component offered to members.

“A farmer with financial literacy skills may not go crazy over the big money from good coffee sales. We are confident that many of our members who have benefited from the coffee boom have acquired tangible assets and invested their money in the best possible way,” says Sserubombwe.

The hive of activity in the chain of coffee processing plants and related facilities is spread throughout Kibinge District and the entire Bukomansimbi District.

Mr Fred Nyenje Kayiira, chairman of Bukomansimbi District Council, says coffee production has now become the flagship activity of Bukomansimbi District.

“We are proud that our farmers now understand the importance of the coffee crop and the need to work hard for a better life. “Bukomasimbi contributes greatly to the large volumes of coffee beans that Uganda exports,” he says.

Mr Amiisi Kakomo, Minister of Agriculture, Cooperatives, Trade and Fisheries of the Kingdom of Buganda, reaffirmed the need for Bukomansimbi farmers and Buganda as a region to maintain coffee standards on their farms.

“Our people in Bukomansimbi District are making good money from coffee sales because the prices are good. We have other areas in coffee production that are performing equally well. “We want our farmers to adapt to modern agricultural systems to increase productivity,” he says.

Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) says coffee farm prices in September 2024 range from Shs6,500 to Shs7,000 for Kiboko or unprocessed coffee beans (Robusta) per kilogram and Shs12,500 to Shs13,000 for Fair Average Quality (SSS) or per kilogram. processed coffee.

The statement published on the UCDA website for October also shows that coffee market trends project coffee exports at 500,000 per 60kg bag after the shortening and ending of the harvest season in the Greater Masaka and Southwest regions of Uganda.