By Dallen Namugga
Coffee farmers have been alerted to the presence of “sector spies” (quality control officers from the European Union, who inspect coffee farms incognito) to ensure growing standards. Edward Ssentamu, who Lutakome, an agronomist from the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) who facilitated a coffee training session at the Harvest Money 20204 Expo in Kololo, told farmers to be professional at every level of production because of the existing inspectors and follow-up spot checks done on their produce to ensure standard output.
According to Lutakome, there is a hotline, as well as Police, whose job is to arrest coffee farmers who carry out bad harvesting methods. He added that inspectors also have the privilege to scrutinise farmers’ gardens at night to check standard levels. “My appeal is for us to welcome the EU and their standards because they are helping us. When we follow these regulations, we shall have access to external markets,” Lutakome explained. Coffee farmers were cautioned against spraying seed towards harvest time and warned that standard will be followed throughout the value chain. However, Lukatome mentioned that the spying is not in bad faith as it helps to improve the market and standards. Additionally, farmers were encouraged to brand their products differently because having similar names also disrespects standard rules. On her part, businesswoman Margaret Kigozi called for compliance from the farmers with the EU. To her, coffee is Ugandan, and the follow-ups that detect bad coffee save the country from a bad image. “We have learned a lot of things, right from planting, drying, and harvesting, and this will enable us to produce better-quality coffee,” Kigozi said.
Do not disregards expert opinion
At the same training, Lutakome urged coffee farmers to avoid underestimating expert opinion on the subject. According to him, people consider opinions from politicians even more than the experts in a certain field. “I had the chance to be educated by the Government, and I studied at high-end institutions of learning abroad. Therefore, when give you my opinion on coffee growing, please do not underestimate it. If it were a politician, the situation would be different,” Lutakome said. He commended Vision Group for organizing the Harvest Money Expo, which brings sector players directly to farmers to share knowledge of coffee growing with them.
In 2024, the Harvest Money Expo, orchestrated by Vision Group, stands out as a key agricultural gathering, bringing together diverse stakeholders in the agricultural domain.
Its aim is to convene farmers, agribusiness entities, policymakers, and investors, showcasing innovators, cutting-edge technologies, and optimal farming methodologies. It was sponsored by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries (MAAIF), Tunga Nutrition, Engineering Solutions (ENGSOL), Techo Serve, Uganda Investment Authority (UIA), Uganda Warehouse Receipt System Authority, KOICA-K-ABIC, dfcu Bank, Private Sector Foundation Uganda, AKVO International, Pepsi, and State House.
