By George Bita
Farmers in Busoga sub-region have improved on especially post-harvest handling of coffee so as to earn more from their crop sales.
Sula Munaabi, a commercial farmer at Nawaka village, Luuka district explained that after several training sessions, most farmers nowadays handle the coffee plants as well as beans in the right way to maximise profits.
“It is common practice for farmers to dry coffee beans on tarpaulins as opposed to the bare ground of yesteryears. Also the age-old practice of harvesting immature green berries is no more,” Munaabi assured.
He said the plants are sprayed with natural repellants like cows’ urine to keep off offensive insects that spoil the beans before maturity.
He noted that all local processing mills these days insist on getting fully dried cherries (kiboko) with a moisture content of between 13-14%.
“After milling to get unshelled beans or kase, the value addition makes the produce more paying to the farmer. A kilogram of parchment coffee sells at about sh4, 500,” Munaabi said.
Yowasi Nabongho, a coffee farmer from Busowa village, Bugiri district explained that it is of late much more profitable to sell kase to get more money from coffee.
“The only challenge we have is the thieves who raid gardens as the farmer patiently waits for the cherries to ripen. There are instances when they steal even the green fruits,” Nabongho noted.
Peter Mujubu, a farmer from Naibiri village, Iganga district said that over the last five years he has registered a good harvest from his coffee garden fetching good money from subsequent sales.
“On average a good annual harvest gives me 4,000kg. A kilogram of dry coffee beans goes for about sh2, 200 meaning I end up with sh8.8m,” he testified.
He added that during periods of less rains the harvest dwindles to almost half the anticipated yield which implies reduced income from the farm.
He appreciated the agriculture extension workers and other local government officials who inspect the farmers to ensure set standards are adhered to.
James Kautta, another farmer at Namunya B village, Bumanya sub-county in Kaliro district said a kilogram of unprocessed coffee cherries goes for sh1, 500 yet the one processed costs thrice that amount.
“This reality has forced most of us to handle our harvest well and process it into profitable kase. That way even the middlemen cannot fleece the farmer,” Kautta argued.
He disclosed that with this proper handling of the coffee crop, he can earn a net profit of sh3m annually from sales to Kampala-based dealers.
According to Stephen Mwase, the Buyende district agriculture officer, in June 2014, Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) suspended coffee processing in Busoga over improper handling that made inferior produce to reach the market.
“However, with time our coffee farmers have listened and learnt a lot. Nowadays it is rare to find any non-compliant individual when it comes to proper crop handling,” Mwase claimed. He estimated that Busoga sub-region produces over 20 tonnes of Robusta coffee annually which is of recommended quality.
