Uganda is one of the five coffee-growing countries on the African continent that will benefit from a grant from the Italian government to establish coffee training centres.
The funds will come from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation for African countries, including Uganda, to benefit from Italy.
The deputy director general of the Italian Development Cooperation, Marco Rusconi, made the revelation during a meeting with Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja recently at the Office of the Prime Minister in Kampala.
The 11- man Italian delegation was on a three-working days visit, following up on projects which Nabbanja last year wooed the Italian government to bring to Uganda.
The premier’s technical advisor on strategic engagement and policy, Silver Ssewannyana, lauded her leadership and dedication to fostering strategic partnerships with international donors and investors.
“Her tireless effort has yielded significant results to the country with various donors committing to support Uganda’s development agenda,” Ssewanyana observed.
The meeting with the Italian delegation was attended by Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka, finance minister Matia Kasaija, state minister for agriculture Bwino Kyakulaga and state minister for industry David Bahati, among others.
Sh57.3b project
The government of Italy has launched a project called Advancing Climate-Resilience and Transformation in African Coffee (ACT Coffee), implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, from which the Uganda Coffee Industry will benefit.
Marco Rusconi noted that the ACT Programme budget is €15m (sh57.3b), including strategic coordination and roll-out in five countries, that include: Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Malawi.
Kyakulaga pointed out that the agriculture minister has identified land for establishing the Coffee Training Centre (CTC), at plot number 181 /183 Muteesa 11 road Ntinda, Nakawa division, which is about 1.166 hectares of land.
“At this centre, we are going to combine the CTC project with a coffee laboratory and a state-of-the-art coffee shop,” Kyakulaga said.
This will be the first CTC in Uganda, which will focus on Value addition and productivity, including a pilot roasting section.
“The facility will provide roasting services to local cooperatives and private coffee producers fostering the establishment of coffee roasting start-ups,” Kyakulaga explained.
It is important to note that Italy and Germany are leading importers of Uganda’s coffee. Among Uganda’s exports, coffee is the second leading foreign exchange earner after gold. Nabbanja accompanied Uganda’s Ambassador to Italy, Elizabeth Paula Napeyok, in 2021 to attract investors from Italy to add value to Uganda’s coffee before it’s exported.
She appreciated the support given by the Italian government. Nabbanja said the support offered to Uganda’s coffee sector should reach the wanainchi and focus on high-yielding coffee seedlings, fertiliser use, irrigation and value addition.
Caution on economic losses
Kyakulaga noted that Kenya and South Sudan have recently been rejecting maize from Uganda due to high levels of aflatoxin contamination, a harmful toxin produced by fungi.
This has resulted in significant economic losses.
Kyakulaga warned that aflatoxins can also affect coffee beans, thus affecting the coffee markets intentionally.
“We assessed aflatoxins and found that the rates remain dangerously high and they are increasing due to climate change,” Kyakulaga explained.
LEAD PHOTO CAPTION: Nabbanja (right) meeting with a delegation from Italy recently. Photo by Paul Kiwuuwa
