TheCoffee Yearbook - Uganda Coffee Resilient Through COVID-19 and the New Normal 2019/2020
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The
Coffee Yearbook
A publication of Uganda Coffee Federation
2019/2020
Uganda Coffee
Resilient Through
COVID-19 and the
New Normal
Save the Date: Emmwanyi Best of the Pearl
Uganda Coffee Terimba Project Cupping Competition
Day 2021 - Mbale & Auction
The Coffee Yearbook 2019-2020 1
Kyagalanyi Coffee Limited
Creating value in Ugandan coffee,
from field to cup
For more information, get in touch.
kcl@kyagalanyi.com
2 The Coffee Yearbook 2019-2020 +256-312-265-251
T H E C O F F E E THE
Y ECOFFEE
A R B O OYEARBOOK
K 2 0 1 6 2016
/ 2 /0 2017
1 7
DELIVERED
TO PERFECTION
A perfect cup of coffee starts with coffee beans of Spedag Interfreight Uganda Ltd.
the highest quality. And reliable logistics, delivering Plot M284, Nakawa Industrial Area
P.O. Box 4555
the coffee to where it is needed, when it is needed.
Kampala, Uganda
We are your dependable partner, offering you the
perfect solution for the transport and logistics of +256 414 562 000
your coffee exports from Uganda. kampala@spedaginterfreight.com
www.spedaginterfreight.com
UGANDA COFFEE FEDERATION
2 0 M I L L I O N B A G S B Y 2 0 2 0
The Coffee Yearbook 2019-2020
PROMOTING YOUTH DEVELOPMENT IN THE COFFEE INDUSTRY THROUGH COOPERATIVES, VALUE ADDITION AND INNOVATIONS.
Uganda Coffee Federation
3
31
THET COFFEE
H E CYEARBOOK
O F F E E 2016
Y E / A2017
R B 2O 0O 1K6 / 2 0 1 T7 H E C O F F E YE EA R B O O K2 0 1 6 / 2 01 7
UGANDA LIMITED
a member of the ecom group
with its third Uganda single origi n, special
Please visit our new location at;
KAWACOM UGANDA LIMITED
PLOT 2921, BLOCK 111
KAMPALA INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS PARK NAMANVE
P.O.BOX 22623, KAMPALA UGANDA
4 TEL: +256
The Coffee Yearbook 2019-2020 393 260201
PROMOTING YOUTH DEVELOPMENT IN THE COFFEE INDUSTRY THROUGH COOPERATIVES, VALUE ADDITION AND INNOVATIONS.
0 MUganda
2 34 I L L I Coffee
O N BFederation
A G S B Y 2 0 2 0 2 0 M I LUganda
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N B Federation
A G S B Y35 2 0 2 0
TABLE OF CONTENTS
36
20
22
06 | Writers’ Profiles
30 10
07 | Uganda Coffee Like Her Population Is Young And Resilient
10 | Uganda’s Resilient Coffee Sub-Sector
16 | Uganda Coffee: Resilient Through Covid-19 And The New Normal
18 | Covid-19 And 2020 The Year That Was! From The Lens Of A Woman In Coffee.
20 | Fairtrade Boosts The Resilience Of Ugandan Coffee Producers
22 | A 12 Months Coffee Exporter Nightmare
26 | Coffee Farmers Body Acquires Industrial Solar Plant
30 | About Uganda Coffee Day
36 | The Emmwanyi Terimba Initiative: Increasing Quality and Quantity of both
Coffee and Livelihoods of the People of Buganda
40 | Statistics
49 | Membership / Stakeholder Visits
50 | UCF On Social Media
61 | Coffee Puzzle 2020
63 | Advertising Index
26
EDITORIAL TEAM
Editor in Chief Associate Editors Advertising Publishers
Paul Martin Maraka Lillian Nakawojjwa Ryan Abby Mulumba Uganda Coffee Federation
Ryan Abby Mulumba +256701373771 1st Floor, Coffee House
Plot 35, Jinja Road
Email. ucf@ugandacoffeefederation.com
Tel: +256704588839, +256785996524
The Coffee Yearbook 2019-2020 5
WRITERS’ PROFILES
Dr. Iyamulemye Kenneth Barigye Phil Schluter
Dr. Iyamulemye is the Managing Kenneth Barigye, is the Managing Phil Schluter has been in coffee
Director of Uganda Coffee Director of Mountain Harvest, a for over 25 years. Having spent his
Development Authority where he company established in 2017 in early childhood in East Africa, he
currently leads a team of about response to the collapse of coffee has always had a passion for using
150 staff to promote and oversee Cooperative as a coffee trader and coffee as a vehicle for economic
the coffee industry by promoting exporter focused on specialty coffee. development and social change.
research, coffee production, He is now the Managing Director of
productivity, and domestic coffee Olam Specialty Coffee Europe Ltd
consumption. Dr. Iyamulemye and remains very involved in the East
represents Uganda at the African coffee scene.
International Coffee Organisation
(ICO) – the main intergovernmental
organization for coffee which
brings together exporting and
importing Governments to tackle
the challenges facing the world
coffee sector through international
cooperation. He is a past chairman of
the ICO Finance and Administration Mugenyi Musenze Robert
Committee. Mugenyi Musenze Robert is
Ssenkulu (Chief Executive Officer) Teopista Nakkungu
of the Buganda Cultural and Teopista has had a distinct career
development Foundation- BUCADEF as an advocate and promoter of
was established to achieve coffee development. She supports,
sustainable improvement in the lobbies and advocates for women’s
living standards and welfare of the economic empowerment, across all
people, coffee value chains. At present, she
is doing this through her current
work, coordinating the activities of
the IWCA Uganda Chapter. Teo is
an Advisor to small and medium-
sized organizations. She mentors
emerging professionals and investors
along the coffee value chain in
Uganda. Teo holds a bachelor’s
degree of Food Science and
Joy Muruku Technology of Makerere University.
Joy Muruku is the Regional Rachel Nankumba
Communications Officer at Fairtrade Rachel Nankumba is a communications Officer with NUCAFE having
Africa’s Eastern and Central Africa experience in corporate communications, public relations, writing and
Network based in Nairobi, Kenya editing, media relations. She is also familiar with agriculture, education,
organisational communications, news media, and marketing.
6 The Coffee Yearbook 2019-2020
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
UGANDA COFFEE LIKE HER
POPULATION IS YOUNG
AND RESILIENT
The young girl holding red cherries on the cover of the magazine summaries
Uganda Coffee – as it is or rather as it should fight to be.
Uganda has been growing Arabica coffee over 100 years and Robusta Coffee
since the dawn of time. Both crops have remained central to the past, present
and future of Uganda and the global coffee industry. In spite of this, Uganda
is only starting to take centre stage in world coffee landscape while stamping
its clear contribution to the high quality and consistent volumes of coffee
needed to feed the world’s caffeine demand. Efforts from both the private
and public sector need to commended for this growth.
As regional production has continued to decline and the more recently the
Pandemic has hurt the Coffee Market – Uganda has managed to stay the
course even in these rough headwinds registering the highest volumes of
coffee exported ever.
In this edition of the Uganda Coffee Year Book we feature articles from the
Uganda Coffee Development Authority – highlighting Uganda coffee’s
resilience throughout the Covid19 Lockdowns, Exporter’s experiences
throughout the pandemic trading crisis, innovations in quality competitions,
energy conservation, certification and domestic consumption.
I would like to thank the Board for all the support and active participation
in our resilient coffee industry. I would like to thank the young team at the
UCF Secretariat let by Mr. Paul Martin Maraka – that has brought a fresh drive,
energy and “vibe” to how we deliver services to our members and coffee
stakeholders.
Uganda Coffee like her Population is Young and Resilient – we must
aggressively continue to nurture her growth and protect her so she can
continue to care for us for another century.
Owek. Robert Waggwa Nsibirwa
President
Uganda Coffee Federation
The Coffee Yearbook 2019-2020 7
Transforming Smallholder Coffee Farmers’ Livelihoods
through Ibero Uganda's Sustainable Sourcing Strategy
Rethinking coffee sourcing, in 2017, Ibero
Uganda set up NKG BLOOM Uganda – an
initiative of the Neumann Kaffee Gruppe
(NKG) to ensure the long-term viability
of green coffee supplies by providing
smallholder farmers with the opportuni-
ties and resources they need to run their
farms at full potential and enter a pathway
out of poverty.
NKG BLOOM addresses barriers to farmer
success and offers individual farmers and
farmer groups bespoke combinations of
services centred around financing, which
is oen the core bottleneck faced by
farmers, yet it is essential to unlocking the
huge potential that these farmers hold.
The Ibero Uganda Farmer Services Unit
provides farmers with not only financing,
but high-quality inputs and any know-how they need to run Contact us at Ibero Uganda
their farms at full potential and maximize their net incomes.
In striving for transparency and traceability, mobile soware ▶ Gabrielle Rosenau, Country Manager
links each coffee bought by Ibero to the work being done in gabrielle.rosenau@nkg.coffee
the field, the farmer or farmer group that produced it, and the ▶ Rachel Nakasiita, Farmer Services Manager
green buyer who purchases it. With this strategy, Ibero Uganda rachel.nakasiita@nkg.coffee
is proud to be aligned with the Ugandan Coffee Road Map. ▶ Michael Mugisha, Commercial & Operations Manager
michael.mugisha@nkg.coffee
About Ibero Uganda Key services for farmers
Good agricultural
Founded in 1994, we are on a mission of providing the best Mobile money High-quality
practices & financial
internal marketing service that will ensure maximum benefit advances fertilizers
literacy trainings
for individual coffee producers and maintain the prestigious
position of Ugandan coffee in the international market. Our
team of dedicated and experienced staff is specialized in every Key services for farmer groups
area of our business that includes quality control, export
Working Increasing
processing, logistics and risk management. Ibero Uganda is IT systems for capital group strength
a company of Neumann Kaffee Gruppe, the world’s leading coffee deliveries financing
green coffee service group.
For8 more
Theinformation, please visit our website: nkgbloom.coffee/uganda
Coffee Yearbook 2019-2020
MAAIF
Ministry of Agriculture
Animal Industry and Fisheries
A CELEBRATION
OF ARABICA AND THE
MOUNT ELGON COFFEES
7TH OCTOBER 2021 | VENUE: MBALE CITY
Website: www.ugandacoffeeday.com | Event Hashtag – #UgandaCoffeeDay2021
The Coffee Yearbook 2019-2020 9
UGANDA’S Ismail Zavuga showing
the UCDA team what
RESILIENT COFFEE
his farm looked like
before the intervention.
Looking on is Apollo
Kamugisha, UCDA’s
SUB-SECTOR
Director of Development
Services
BY DR. EMMANUEL IYAMULEMYE
O
nset of the pandemic
Globally, as of 15 February 2021, there were
108,484,802 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including
2,394,323 deaths, reported to the World Health
Organisation. To curb the spread of COVID-19, several countries
beginning with China, where the disease was first reported,
banned international travels, imposed lockdowns and devised
standard operating procedures (SOPs). Uganda adopted
preventive and mitigation measures, such as a three-month
lockdown to control the spread of the virus.
Although the lockdown was meant to keep the number of
cases down, it inadvertently affected the economy. According
to a 2020 International Coffee Organisation (ICO) report, the
impact of COVID-19 in the coffee sub-sector was felt through a
labour supply shortage, either directly due to illness or indirectly
The COVID-19 pandemic has as the movement of farm labourers and migrant workers was
undoubtedly had an impact on the limited by guidelines on social distancing, lockdowns, and travel
restrictions.
coffee sub-sector affecting everyone
along the value chain - farmers, COVID-19 also disrupted the internal logistics networks and the
processors, exporters, baristas, roasters, functioning of the export infrastructure, resulting in delays of
coffee shops, and consumers. Dr. shipment as well as increased trade and transaction costs (ICO,
Emmanuel Iyamulemye, Managing 2020).
Director, Uganda Coffee Development
Authority (UCDA), talks about how the Furthermore, a study by Lakuma et.al, (2020) on the effect of
COVID-19 on Ugandan businesses revealed that nine out of
Ugandan coffee sub-sector coped during
ten businesses reported experiencing an increase in operating
the height of the pandemic. expenses. The study also found that agriculture enterprises
10 The Coffee Yearbook 2019-2020were worst hit due to challenges of accessing inputs The Minister of Agriculture hands over donations from
arising from transport restrictions and the ban on the coffee subsector to the national COVID-19 task
weekly markets while prices of agricultural outputs have force. Coffee stakeholders donated 2 pickups, Shs 142m,
declined due to reduced demand. ground coffee, maize and beans
In 2020, UCDA commissioned its own study of the
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the value chain coffee sub-sector as one of the sectors to contribute
players in the coffee sub-sector in Uganda. The UCDA significantly to the Agro-industrialization agenda of
study reiterated the findings of the ICO and other Uganda. To ensure that the Government continued
studies. to grow the economy, it facilitated the movement of
cargo (coffee inclusive) within and out of the country.
Challenges to the sector For this reason, the industry thrived during the period,
Extension services, use of productivity-enhancing the logistical challenges including border post delays
inputs like fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, and notwithstanding.
coffee buying reduced and this led to low harvests, and
significant declines in revenues and profits. Primary Between March and April, Uganda had an
and secondary processors were also affected with unprecedented increase in prices as international
many processing businesses remaining closed during roasters rushed to buy as much coffee as possible to
the national lockdown. The processors had little or
no access to credit, and limited access to coffee from
farmers which exacerbated the challenge of under-
capacity utilisation in the factories. Processing plants At the height of the pandemic,
were forced to cut down on the number of their Uganda displaced India as the
employees while roasters were unable to sell coffee as number one coffee supplier on
cafés remained closed. The requirement to observe the
standard operating procedures such as buying sanitizers,
the Italian market. Between
temperature guns, masks for employees led to an April and December 2020,
increase in costs and hence a decrease in profits. Italy imported 130,653 60 kg
bags of coffee from Uganda.
The good news Eclipsing India on the Italian
On a positive note, with the restriction in movements market is pegged on the quality
both into and within the country and the closure of of Uganda’s coffee and resilience
cafés, several café operators resorted to online marketing
and home and office deliveries.
of coffee production in Uganda
during the COVID 19 pandemic
Fortunately, there was good news on the export front. and lockdown.
The National Development Plan III recognizes the
The Coffee Yearbook 2019-2020 11attributed to the fact that Uganda
is a price taker in the international
coffee market on one hand,
but also shows Uganda’s price
discovery whereby the market
responds almost instantly to the
543,251 direction of the global market.
Number of 60kg Although the farm gate prices were
bags of coffee lower than in the pre-pandemic
period, the reduction was not as
exported in July high as at the exporter level most
likely due to the competition from
the exporters in a bid to fulfil their
contractual obligations with the
foreign buyers.
stock in their coffee houses. Ugandan coffee was in high Policy implications
demand because it is highly competitive due to its good The UCDA study findings have key policy implications.
quality, and is cheaper than some of the branded coffees The Government needs to target coffee value chain
on the market. At the height of the pandemic, Uganda players among the key beneficiaries of the COVID-19
displaced India as the number one coffee supplier stimulus packages. Micro-finance institutions such as
on the Italian market. Between April and December SACCOs need to be supported to enhance credit access
2020, Italy imported 130,653 60 kg bags of coffee from by farmers and ensure that the loan repayments are
Uganda. Eclipsing India on the Italian market is pegged cognizant of seasonality and harvest cycles. It is also
on the quality of Uganda’s coffee and resilience of coffee evident that primary and secondary processors require
production in Uganda during the COVID 19 pandemic business support services such as e-commerce for better
and lockdown. business and financial management to make them more
resilient to shocks like COVID-19.
At the same time, from July to September, Uganda
registered an unprecedented increase in monthly coffee Other key policy implications include the need to
exports surpassing the 500,000 60 kg bags in a single organise farmers in groups to facilitate extension,
month for the first time in three decades. In July, Uganda credit and provision of other services to organised
exported 543,251 60 kg bags of coffee valued at US$ cooperatives, the need to promote local coffee
49.78 million. In August, Uganda exported 519,683 60 kg consumption to provide an alternative to the
bags of coffee valued at US$ 46.06 million and 506,470 international market, promotion of good quality roasted
60 kg bags of coffee valued at US$ 44.64 million were coffee at affordable prices through specific training
exported in September 2020. Overall coffee exports and exploring ways of reducing the cost of packaging
for the coffee year (October 2019 to September 2020)
totalled 5,360,859 bags worth US$ 512.23 million
compared to 4,439,808 bags worth US$ 433.95 million
the previous year - a 21% and 18% increase in quantity
and value respectively.
Uganda’s monthly exports were high in 2020 on account
of the high coffee harvest at the end of 2019. However,
this largely holds for Robusta exports whose quantity
and value was consistently higher for 2020 compared to
2019, but Arabica coffee exports experienced a decline Government’s focus is now
from May to August 2020 compared to the same period
shifting to ensuring productivity
in 2019.
per tree from 0.6kg of clean
Although the global coffee prices had been trending coffee to 1.1 kg and growth of
downwards even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the domestic coffee consumption
trend continued with intensity in volatility during the from the current 6 percent per
pandemic period. Thus, despite the increased monthly capita to 15 percent by 2025.
exports, the corresponding values were lower due to low
export prices on account of lower global prices. This is
12 The Coffee Yearbook 2019-2020UCDA has introduced
rehabilitation and fertilizer
distribution programme to
increase production and
productivity
Government’s focus is now shifting to ensuring
productivity per tree from 0.6kg of clean coffee to 1.1
kg and growth of domestic coffee consumption from
the current 6 percent per capita to 15 percent by 2025.
To this end, the Authority has introduced a coffee
rehabilitation and fertilizer distribution programme.
The main purpose of this program is to increase coffee
production and productivity of the old and unproductive
tree stock, through stumping of the old trees and
application of fertilizers.
UCDA extension officer harvesting coffee. Farmers
are encouraged to use fertiliser to increase the yield Despite the challenges brought on by the COVID-19
of their coffee plants pandemic, UCDA has continued to offer the necessary
support to industry players to ensure a smooth flow of
cargo by increasing efficiency in coffee sales registration
materials to make coffee more affordable to the and export certification. UCDA also continues to fulfil its
consumers. mandate to promote and oversee the coffee industry by
supporting research, promoting production, controlling
With UCDA spearheading the Coffee Roadmap, these the quality, and improving the marketing of coffee to
will be addressed. The roadmap, which has been optimize foreign exchange earnings for the country and
transformed into a Coffee Sector Strategy 2020/21- payments to the farmers.
2024/25 and contributed significantly to the Agro-
Industrialization agenda of the National Development Overall, COVID-19 largely affected the coffee produced,
Plan III, is a transformative agenda to increase the procured and sold. It limited access to services such as
production of coffee to 20 million bags of green coffee credit, and led to an increase in costs due to disruptions
by 2025 and increase payments to farmers. caused by the lock-down.
Through the key roadmap initiatives, farmer The recommended impact and coping mechanisms
organizations and cooperatives are being strengthened for any future lockdowns need to be taken into
to enhance commercialization for smallholder farmers consideration by all. These include sensitization and
and ensure broad access to extension, inputs, finance, information sessions to create sustainable production,
and aggregation. The initiatives also aim to attract promotion of different information dissemination
channels including mainstream media, social media,
investors into coffee production on a medium and
and other technologies in providing extension services
large scale, brand Uganda coffee to drive demand and to farmers, promotion of domestic coffee consumption,
improve value and support local coffee businesses for stimulus packages to affected actors and relief support
value addition including a soluble coffee plant. in form of tax waivers.
The Coffee Yearbook 2019-2020 13SPEDAG INTERFREIGHT Logistics Connecting Continents. SPEDAG INTERFREIGHT will handle your specialty coffee most
SPIF as it is colloquially called is well known to all the coffee efficiently and at very competitive rates. Security is of
exporters in East Africa and Trading Houses in the world. paramount importance to all our services and your coffee is
We are providing outstanding logistics services for exports moving under seamless surveillance at all times. The tracking
and imports to all the major coffee trading companies system reports the movement of the containers electronically
based in East Africa and around the world. live throughout the journey. For physical support of the
moving trucks in case of incidents the security company
With a vast wealth of experience in providing logistics engaged operates escort vehicles equipped with CCTV and
services in East Africa for over 27 years, we are able to 4 guards. We are pleased to offer this security concept
provide tailor made solutions to our esteemed clients. for all our transport options i.e. ROAD and INTERMODAL.
Customers entrust us their valuable coffee with utmost
confidence as they can rely on SPIF to reach their buyers Additionally, we follow the highest industry standards in
safely and in time. The logistic services include warehouse respect of certifications. IMS-ISO 90001:2015, ISO
operations, transport to port, FOB operation and sea 14001:2015, ISO 45001:2018, ISO 37001-2016 are all part of
freight. our operating standards.
For warehousing, we have owned warehouse capacity of Please contact us for a tailor-made solution to your
15,000 square meters wherein we provide fixed and flexible requirements.
warehousing concepts depending upon the requirement.
The warehouses are supplemented with lifting equipment
for efficient operation and container handling. Also they
are fitted with CCTV cameras and round the clock security
personnel for optimal security of the stored commodities.
Spedag Interfreight Uganda Ltd.
The warehouse is manned by experienced staff to handle Plot M284, Nakawa Industrial Area
coffee. We provide machine bulk loading into liner bags, P.O Box 4555
loading of standard bags or special 1 ton bags into Kampala, Uganda
containers. The warehouse operations are linked to an +256 414 562 000
internet-based warehouse management system which can kampala@spedaginterfreight.com
be accessed remotely by our clients to give a real time stock
position. Further SPIF is recognized by international
financial institutions for collateral financing &
management of coffee stocks stored in our warehouses.
Efficient movements are the backbone of our service. We
provide reliable transportation of the export containers
through Road and Rail tailored to meet the shipping
deadlines at the port and the budget for logistic services.
SPIF has operating offices in the two major ports Mombasa,
Kenya, and Dar es salaam, Tanzania along with offices in all
country capitals and borders within East Africa. Our Export
Team is very efficient for port operations and we have 1st
class working arrangement with shipping lines to offer
most competitive services including sea freights. We do
stock all major shipping line containers in Kampala for the
use of export traffic. Besides the traditional FOB services we
also provide extension services such as transport insurance,
fumigation, weighing of individual bags and VGM
certification for containers, liaison with inspection
agencies, palletizing, sampling & courier services to name a
few.
14 The Coffee Yearbook 2019-2020LOUIS DREYFUS
COMPANY:
Enlarged Code of Conduct
for Coffee Suppliers
P resent in all major coffee producing
countries around the world, Louis Dreyfus
Company (LDC) has experience in coffee
merchandizing that spans more than three
decades.
In Uganda, we leverage our expertise to source
the country’s Robusta and Arabica coffee
varieties - from smallholder suppliers to farming
cooperatives alike - and export these all over the
world, supported by our warehouse and dry mill
facility in Namanve Industrial Area.
We firmly believe that sustainable agriculture is an
absolute precondition for the economic welfare
of farmers, and to enable future generations to
enjoy high-quality coffee for decades to come.
That is the mission of our sustainable coffee
PUR Project
strategy, working across three complementary
pillars:
1. Boosting production of certified and verified
coffee By 2025, LDC is committed to:
2. Supporting farming communities through sourcing 70% of all coffee purchased from
collaborative initiatives in marginalized areas suppliers who signed the 2020 Code of Conduct
3. Sourcing coffee responsibly. tracing to farm level 20% of coffee purchased
Through this approach, LDC aims to work from suppliers who signed our Code of Conduct
alongside farmers in meeting the traceability and Guided by the company’s purpose to create fair
transparency requirements of roaster customers and sustainable value for the benefit of current and
committed to sourcing 100% responsibly-grown future generations, we are committed to promoting
coffee by 2025-30. sustainable practices across all our activities,
To achieve this, in 2020 LDC launched its starting at the heart of our supply chains, with
enlarged Code of Conduct for Coffee Suppliers, farmers.
which underpins our commitment to uphold
international standards related to labor and
human rights, health and safety, environmental Louis Dreyfus Company Uganda Ltd
protection, business integrity and fairness, Plot 643 Kyaggwe Block 113 Namanve,
compliance and governance, and transparency Mukono District
and verification. P.O. Box 35021, Kampala, Uganda
T. +256 204 000 500
www.ldc.com
The Coffee Yearbook 2019-2020 15UGANDA COFFEE
RESILIENT THROUGH COVID-19
AND THE NEW NORMAL BY PHIL SCHLUTER
The last 12 months will stay long in our memories. They have taught to adopt the takeaway option and
us a lot. We have been reminded that the things we built our faith and find ways to attract customers and
hope for the future on were less secure than we realized. Our economy facilitate a safe takeaway option.
or bank balance, our health, or our abilities to work hard and build the Roasters have had to find new ways
future have all proven to be unstable foundations. We have faced many to reach consumers at home to
challenges. Some like bereavement are familiar though more frequent replace the sales they once enjoyed
and harder to cope with. Some like home schooling are new to many through the HORECA sector.
and try our patience and resolve. But we have also been reminded of
those things which perhaps we took for granted, but which ultimately National situations in large
make life worthwhile. The simple, everyday things in life. Our friends consuming nations are changing
and families, meeting up for a drink or a meal or hugging those we weekly if not daily, and hence any
love. I hope that if and when life returns to a semblance of normality precise statistics are out of date
we do not quickly forget what this pandemic has taught us. about as fast as they are collected.
Hence, any numbers given here
represent an estimate of broad
T
he coffee market has been As coffee channels shift, the mantra trends. Home consumption, once
no different. COVID has for the supply chain has been PIVOT; sourced 90% from retail outlets and
bought its challenges, but DON’T PAUSE. Each link in the chain 10 % online, has moved to about
in the responses to them has faced its own unique challenges a quarter online. And in the retail
we have found some new ways – from harvesting with less available sector, customers are using small
of operating which better the old labour, to processing with social local stores in preference to large
ones, and some trends which will distancing, to being unable to have retail spaces. In the UK in March/
outlive the pandemic and continue certifiers or machine technicians visit April 2020 during the first national
into the future. People are still – all the way to having to close your lockdown a Kantar report showed
drinking coffee. That is clear. Talk of café in a national lockdown. a 63% increase in visit to small local
an almost 100% correlation between stores – and this trend is still present
global economic slowdown and Consumption has shifted. Some today.
a drop in coffee consumption do markets have paused almost entirely.
not seem to have materialized to The hospitality sector has ground to Work from home (now with its own
the extent we had feared. Coffee is a near halt. High street cafés around recognizable 3 letter acronym - wfh)
part of the staple diet of so many the world have closed their doors in is a new reality, and one which
nations now, and hence whilst solidarity with national lockdowns. is likely to outlast the pandemic.
consumption channels have shifted, Workplaces and offices lie empty Employees who are able to save
overall consumption has remained with no more conversations around time commuting to work, and away
remarkably resilient. the coffee machine. Cafés have had from the distractions of a busy
16 The Coffee Yearbook 2019-2020workplace, are proving that they can 90%. Those who were nimble quickly traditional consuming countries
be very efficient working from home set up or improved their online later in 2021. We would expect to
– atleast in certain sectors. Most presence – with some unforeseen see a return to growth in overall
employers are yet to address the benefits. They find that they can sell coffee consumption in 2022. The
long term implications in terms of their coffee at over twice the price acceleration of digitalization will
supplying coffee to their employees, – albeit with a lot more work – by not slow down. Hence, we foresee
but it will no doubt become a new packaging it into smaller packets a growth in the specialty markets
sector in the market, as companies and selling it online directly to as supply chains are shortened and
look to keep their staff motivated – consumers. In addition, they are paid margins allow for higher prices to
and awake! – whilst they work from upfront rather than being required producers. Other digital trends such
home. to offer extended credit terms and as social media marketing, digital
chase up debtors. A typical small documents (Seaway bills replacing
High streets coffee consumption roaster in Europe has increased Bills of Lading) should stay with us,
is likely to recover quite well once online sales from under 10% to over as should the power and importance
national lockdowns are eased. 30% allowing them to compensate of traceability and origin stories.
However, the move towards a halving of volumes with increased
internet shopping is likely to have a margins to come out of 2020 with Supply chain issues will be with us
significant impact on the retail sector perhaps 20% less revenue. for a while – containers are not in the
going forward. With many large right place, we have to work shifts, or
retail spaces closing, the footfall A consequence of the increasing work from home, certification visits
may not be sufficient to support the population in the online space, and travel remain complicated, and
anciliary services which once thrived and the higher prices obtainable face to face meetings are replaced
on the congregation of shoppers. there in comparison to HORECA with zoom calls and inevitable
However, some central districts sales – is that roasters have needed embarrassment of talking without
once dominated by retail and offices to differentiate themselves to stand making any sound because you
might migrate to entertainment and out. Whilst some of this is obtained forgot to unmute yourself! Many of
food – so it will not necessarily lead through better packaging, website us seemingly need to put in 120%
to lower consumption in the out of design and marketing through of our usual effort to achieve 80%
home sector. social media – there is definitely a of the result, but in pivoting and
competitive advantage in having digging new channels we open up
The impact on roasters has been a better product and a better long term flows which will add to
very varied. Some have found their story to go with it. So, somewhat our overall income streams once
stream overflow, whilst other have counterintuitively, we have seen an the pandemic subsides. I would
had it largely cut off. Amongst the increase in demand for expensive encourage producers in Uganda not
larger roasters, those with a propriety coffees and higher qualities. We to lose heart. Broaden your client
home delivery / capsule system have also seen an increase in new bases, to ensure that you have a
have fared well. Consumers stuck at roasters starting up. The same wider chance of finding the streams
home have looked for convenience. trend was clearly seen in the 2009 which are in flood. Send more
Some have bought a new machine, financial crisis. We came out with samples. Concentrate on quality, and
and those with existing machines many more roasters than existed don’t be shy to ask for prices which
have used them much more often. when we went into it. Coffee is an cover your additional work and costs.
The others who have gained are accessible business for those made
those with well established retail redundant or looking for a change in I pray that once this pandemic is
presences. With out of home direction. Passion for good coffee is over, we will find greener pastures,
consumption impossible, consumers widespread and runs deep. and we will not forget the lessons
have increased their coffee volumes it has taught us. We will cherish the
in their weekly shops. So, what can we expect in the small things, and those close to us.
The roasters who faced the strongest future? Coffee has proven again to We will celebrate the mundane and
headwinds were those serving the be an affordable luxury and as such every day, and we will look back and
out of home market. Typically white recession proof. As vaccinations see how some of the new channels
label roasters or small specialty start to become available and the we dug with sweat and tears turned
roasters. Their core volumes of weather warms up in the summer in into flowing streams which nourish
espresso blends to hospitality the northern hemisphere, we hope us for years to come.
locations dropped by as much as to see lockdowns eased in most
The Coffee Yearbook 2019-2020 17COVID-19 AND 2020
THE YEAR THAT WAS!
FROM THE LENS OF A WOMAN IN COFFEE.
TEOPISTA NAKKUNGU IWCA UGANDA CHAPTER SECRETARIAT
A
s we embarked on 2021, we are especially We joined a virtual platform Participate where we learn
excited at the opportunities and new and share a lot of information, have participated in
beginnings that the year has to offer, having international conferences like the Brazilian Coffee in Latin
come out of a very trying year, 2020 revealed America to promoting coffee in Hong Kong and so many
flaws in our systems that became even more stark others- the power of voices through technology.
as women were the hardest hit when the COVID 19
pandemic struck. The pandemic did not only transform women resilience
but the sector started to visualize the new normal and
As the global pandemic began to unfold, with its what it means to ensure business continuity. Thanks to
restrictions it offered space for issues of social injustices, our strategic partners, the chapter was able to continue
discrimination of women escalates ; along with the low its advocacy work to address gender issues from
coffee prices and other challenges, we learned about policy level to community level and also continued the
immediate problems, such as the transit restrictions awareness campaign to embrace basic human rights for
causing labor issues and transportation delays, the wellbeing of the whole family.
frequently changing health protocols, unfulfilled coffee
purchase contracts or complete cancellations in some The sector embrace technology and we did not miss a
cases, concerns on next harvest preparations…the list is single sector platform meeting which helped us to get
endless. This was challenging to everyone and more so updated and also shared learnings. These are the NPL
to the women monthly meetings that now happen virtually.
And Voir: the magic of Virtual technology . This was My take away from this year is that no matter how
a time to think outside the box and start embracing big a challenge-: Pandemic, social injustices, industry
technology. We started living for these connections uncertainties and waves ; the Coffee Keeps growing and
where we discussed many things from health, families some how it remains the center of a reawakening world;
and communities to businesses and resilience we shall always remain united by the love for coffee
mechanisms. This was the time to do our best at which means so much to every one in the coffee sector.
connecting with each other. The women in coffee
embraced virtual technology and it was rewarding; While 2020 may have been a challenging year we are
through the IWCA Global connection we attended looking forward to continuing the important work
capacity building sessions with International trade center of Connecting Empowering and Advancing women
( ITC). Uganda chapter shared the amazing work on Fine throughout the coffee value chain.# strong women
Robusta’s in the e conference by the African and Asian strong coffee @IWCA Uganda Chapter.
Chapters. It is the same year IWCA celebrated 10 years in
Africa where we reflected on our achievements.
18 The Coffee Yearbook 2019-2020The Coffee Yearbook 2019-2020 19
FAIRTRADE BOOSTS THE
RESILIENCE OF UGANDAN
COFFEE PRODUCERS
JOY MURUKU
A
The COVID-19 pandemic is having an unprecedented impact on s producers weathered
farmers and agricultural workers, affecting their health, well-being and through these
economic sustainability given disruptions in supply chains. The fair shockwaves, Fairtrade
trade movement has worked hard over the last 30 years to establish in collaboration with
sustainable trade relations and responsible supply chains with brands partners rolled out several initiatives
and traders. The COVID-19 crisis threatens to break some of these to cushion producers from further
supply chains and to turn back much of the progress that was very hard vulnerabilities. In March 2020 for
to achieve. At the beginning of the pandemic in March for example, example, Fairtrade International
we observed rapid and severe drop in orders as well as the inability of granted higher flexibility for the
some Fairtrade Producer Organizations to export due to restrictions of use of the Fairtrade Premium
movement. A spike in production costs due to mandatory requirements funds allowing their use to address
for businesses to introduce hygiene and prevention measures was also emergencies resulting from the
witnessed. pandemic. Fairtrade Premium is
© Nathalie Bertrams
A farmer member of Ankole Coffee Producers Cooperative
Union Ltd in Uganda. Members of the Fairtrade Certified
cooperative benefited from the Flexible Premium use and
Fairtrade Producer Relief Fund which enabled them to access
COVID-19 hygiene material such as soap and face masks.
20 The Coffee Yearbook 2019-2020an additional sum of money that
certified producers receive on top
of the minimum price. Ordinarily,
it is invested in socio-economic
projects aimed at improving the
quality of life for farmers, agricultural
workers and their communities.
The flexibility of its use therefore,
provided immediate relief to
producer organizations who utilized
the Premium funds to purchase
Personal Protective Equipment
(PPEs) such as masks, soap, sanitizers,
and install hand washing stations.
With the rising cost of food
emerging as a side effect of the
pandemic, food security was also a
major concern, hence further use of
the funds to purchase food items.
Over 100 Fairtrade certified producer
organizations in Africa among them
18 coffee producer organizations extended flexible Premium use over a duration of 4 to 20 months,
from Uganda benefited from this. to December 2020 ensuring that targeting 225,485 members of
producers could continue take 127 Fairtrade organizations in 9
Fairtrade Africa represents 1,262,068 immediate actions as the impacts of countries in Africa. Of these, 5
farmers and workers from 596 COVID-19 evolved throughout the Ugandan organizations among
certified organizations across the year. Certified producers like Kibinge them coffee producers will receive
continent. This coupled with the Coffee Farmers Co-operative Society funding support to: purchase
scale of the pandemic necessitated Ltd extended their resources to the more PPEs; procure raw materials
the consolidation of more funds to community where they equipped to locally produce PPEs thereby
cater for the vast needs of producer 4 health centres in the district with supporting COVID response while
organizations. As a result, Fairtrade protective equipment and fuelled at the same time providing much
alongside different partners brought ambulances for the sub-county and needed jobs and income to some
together internal resources and in district surveillance team to make members of the community;
May 2020, launched the Fairtrade regular follow up and transport implement awareness and advocacy
COVID-19 Producer Relief Fund to infected people to hospitals. This campaigns to curb the spread of
further secure the health, safety and demonstrates the commitment of COVID-19 and; establish wooden
future of farmers. 7 coffee producer stakeholders within the Fairtrade vegetable greenhouses to tackle the
organizations in Uganda successfully System as a whole to support growing food security challenges
applied for the fund, collectively resilience across all spheres of due to lockdowns and fears of
receiving 23,302.90 Euros to society. contamination in local food markets.
implement relief initiatives including
purchase of basic protective As COVID-19 manifested in various Fairtrade Certified coffee producers
equipment, setting up local food waves, Fairtrade recognized that in Uganda continue to use available
security initiatives, raising awareness while experts and leaders seek mechanisms to mitigate the
on safety precautions, and meeting ways to manage it, its’ effects are be impact of the pandemic on their
business continuity costs, among inescapable and will persist long health, wellbeing and economic
others. after a possible cure is found hence sustainability. At the same time,
the need for longer-term economic Fairtrade continues to offer virtual
Communities too were not left recovery efforts. To address this, support to coffee farmers, equipping
out. Decisions by producers such Fairtrade joined hands with GIZ, them with skills to develop effective
as Bukonzo Organic Farmers making available 2 additional governance and leadership
Cooperative Union saw thousands of producer relief and resilience structures as well as sustainable
surrounding community members funding mechanisms. coffee management practices for
benefit from food donations as robust business models that will
well as essential items such as bar This has kick-started a series of stand the test of time.
soap for washing hands. Fairtrade interventions to be implemented
The Coffee Yearbook 2019-2020 21A 12 MONTHS
COFFEE EXPORTER
NIGHTMARE KENNETH BARIGYE
Mbale Lab Central Beds Makali Shed Wet Mill, Sironko
G
The past 12 months have indeed been a iven the importance of coffee to Uganda’s
challenge in the coffee like we have never economy, coffee enterprises were allowed
seen before – certainly for a 4 year old start to continue operations, but nevertheless Mountain
up like Mountain Harvest. As the government Harvest suspended all field operations to protect the lives of
registered the first COVID-19 cases in March company staff and the farmers we work with. The company
2020, it put in place measures to prevent also implemented new operating protocols to ensure safe
the spread of coronavirus, restricting working conditions for essential staff and seasonal labors
international and domestic travel, closing which measures increased the company’s production costs
schools, suspending public transportation, by 17%.
and directing residents to stay-at-home.
Despite the fact that Mountain Harvest had On the market side, overall volumes
completed coffee buying before government of coffee consumption did not decline significantly,
restrictions were imposed and its focus but sales channels and price points changed. Sales
at the time was on milling, sorting, exporting volumes shifted from cafés to supermarkets and online
and sales, we still had to navigate an storefronts, as social distancing policies were put in
operational environment that we had not place. Many specialty coffee roaster-retailers, Mountain
planned for. This ranged from a reduction in Harvest’s primary market, were affected by these
processing labor, to use of bicycles and trucks changes, as they sell most of their products through
for movement. cafés or wholesale trade with other cafes. Roasters
22 The Coffee Yearbook 2019-2020bee keeping projects, plant avocado
and grow quality legumes.
The writer, Kenneth Barigye, is the
Managing Director of Mountain
Harvest, a company established in
2017 in response to the collapse
of coffee Cooperative as a coffee
trader and exporter focused on
specialty coffee. The company aims
Farmers with Mt. Harvest Bag
to improve the livelihoods of the
farmers it sources from starting with
and retailers who had a strong used to receive UGX5800 per kg of the 800 farmers from six districts on
online model benefited from the parchment not settling for less than the slopes of Mount Elgon that we
pandemic in the UGX 7500 and prices going as high currently work with.
short term (and probably in the long as UGX 8500 per kg.
term as well) and this resulted in a Mountain Harvest aims to de-
reduction in of 50% in our export As we face the future, many specialty commodify our product by
volume whose raw material had coffee roasters are employing providing roasters with top range
unfortunately been bought by the strategies to adapt and recover green beans. To improve the quality
time the world closed down. from COVID, shifting sales to of coffee, Mountain Harvest is
non-café distribution channels, investing heavily in processing
Despite suppressed demand from strengthening online sales by (hiring capable staff, training farmers
Mountain Harvest’s target focusing on direct-to-consumer and installing infrastructure). We are
market resulting from sales. To adjust to market also supporting those farmers from
the COVID pandemic, Mountain conditions, Mountain Harvest has whom we are sourcing parchment in
Harvest had some success bringing set modest sales targets for the improving their practices via training
in sales from small roasters. The 2021 season, and has adapted its and decentralized processing
company completed its third marketing strategies since most stations.
season of operations (FY 2020: Jul coffee events, an important avenue
2019 – Jun 2020) with mixed results. for specialty coffee producers For our highest quality coffees we
Buying volumes and revenues to meet specialty buyers, were are buying cherry and processing
were down from previous years, canceled due to COVID. ourselves. By selling those beans
while improvements in operational for significantly higher prices, we
systems delivered higher average To better understand the inventory can buy coffee at a premium and
quality in inventory, and investments in our supply chain, Mountain then share the increased profit with
in centralized processing enabled Harvest partnered with CGA farmers; we invest in production of
the production of new products Technologies to design and organic fertilizers and pesticides to
(natural and honey processed build a new data and inventory improve soil and coffee tree health;
coffees) with exciting new flavor management system to collect invest in income diversification
profiles. and analyze data from farm (avocado and bee keeping); and
through processing to export invest in technicians to train farmers
As 2020 progressed, the to improve quality and financial in good agricultural practices.
nightmare took another performance. The first version of
direction! On the production the app was launched in Oct 2020 In this way, we see our engagement
side, smallholder farmers on Mt and is currently being used to track with farmers as a pathway to build
Elgon experienced very low coffee data from point of purchase through assets, create wealth, and support
yields attributed to a normal to storage in Mountain Harvest’s thriving livelihoods, not simply a
recovery period that trees go warehouse. continuation of bare subsistence
through after a bumper harvest, or a slow and inadequate means
and prolonged rains in the past Knowing that farmers were to reduce poverty. As productivity
season which affected coffee trees’ as badly hit as the company and profitability increase, farmers,
flowering. The yields reduced by with the reduction in the yield, cooperatives and enterprises return
an estimated 60% and this has the company has partnered with the investment to their families and
increased the farm gate price of donors to promote diversification communities by supporting others’
parchment by up to 24% from of income generating avenues at livelihoods and building strong
the projections with farmers who the household level with farmers social capital and inclusive economic
receiving startup capital to set up growth.
The Coffee Yearbook 2019-2020 23UGANDA LIMITED
a member of the ecom group
Kawacom specialty journey and Sipi Falls Specialty coffees
Kawacom Specialty Coffee Sipi Falls Specialty Coffee
Journey The Sipi Falls region is a land of people with great
coffee culture gifted with many rivers and water
Simply as put, Specialty coffee is special coffee falls embraced by the great Mt. Elgon forest that
produced with special care from selected coffee stretches all the way to Kenya. The Sipi falls brand
growing regions with unique climate or soil on the slopes of Mt. Elgon at altitude ranging
conditions. between 1650 to 2000m+ has been enriched with
more rainfall all year round hence better coffee
We started this journey with great hope masked
productivity. Coffee cherries are sourced based on
with a little bit of doubt for the unknown but were
altitude and agronomic practices, producing the
surprised by what the first season birthed in 2015.
different coffees meticulously on African beds to
We produced some of the best naturals in Uganda
end up with naturals with more complex fruity
claiming first place in the Uganda-Congo taste of
harvest competitions with a score of 86+ and a 3rd flavors and heavy bodies with great consistency
place at regional taste of harvest competition same over time, thus making it to the top 5 positions of
year. all competitions over the years.
The trend has been continuous with previous This region has pioneered in the production of
productions registering highest scores from our honey coffees, that is coffee pulped, dried with all the
newly registered area of production called Maliba mucilage still stuck on the bean, giving the coffee
in Kasese region with 87+ cup score at the 2017/18 syrupy and floral flavors with mild sweetness and
taste of harvest competition. In general, this has a creamy mouthfeel. This has taken our specialty
been a gradual development within our Sustainable interests to another level as people have fallen in
projects as the specialty coffee industry keeps love with it in the coffee industry.
growing bigger and better.
24 The Coffee Yearbook 2019-2020Mt. Rwenzori Maliba
Specialty coffee
The fertile semi rock volcanic soils
coupled with a vast number of
rivers, lakes and Mt Rwenzori forest
have created a good environment for
coffee to thrive. This rich culture
with a good vegetation, hot springs
and a good climate have benefited
the cultivation of good coffee for
Kawacom Namanve warehouse centuries all over the mountains.
At Kawacom, we have produced the
best coffee in Uganda in the first
trial of the natural process with 87+
cup score.
White Nile Specialty
coffee
This is a replica of Sipi in terms of
structure and production processes,
2018/2019 is the first season for the
West-Nile specialty project and we
Mt. Rwenzori Maliba Specialty Coffee
are looking at having the best out
the area. The development of the
project is a snow ball whereby we
started small and are now realizing
massive gains both in our clientele
range and productivity.
White Nile Specialty Coffee: Specialty drying shade
The Coffee Yearbook 2019-2020 25The ABI Trust team at the
commissioning ceremony of the
NUCAFE solar plant in Namanve
COFFEE FARMERS BODY
ACQUIRES INDUSTRIAL
SOLAR PLANT
RACHEL NANKUMBA
T
he National Union of Coffee NUCAFE as a nationwide coffee farmers’ organization is charged
Agribusinesses and Farm with improving Household incomes for small scale coffee farmers
Enterprises (NUCAFE) an umbrella through higher productivity, marketing coffee and helping to
of coffee farmers in Uganda facilitate farmers access value addition services such as cleaning,
with a membership of over 200 farmer drying, de-stoning, grading, color sorting, export handling,
organizations and 200,000 households roasting grinding blending branding and packaging --- all of
in all coffee growing regions of Uganda which require electric power. In the project detailed designing
has acquired an Industrial Solar Plant to phase NUCAFE approached the Electricity Regulatory Agency
realize optimal mix of electricity and solar (ERA), which reviewed the design and production capacity of the
for its factories at Namanve in Mukono power plant of 172.3 kWp and found the design an innovation for
District. The solar plant was launched on on and off grid industries that is responsive to the ever-changing
Friday; 21 August 2020 during a colorful climate change needs. ERA advised NUCAFE on the regulatory
ceremony presided over by Mrs. Josephine requirements for the plant such as exclusion of the plant from the
Mukumbya, Group Chief Executive Officer, grid given that its production capacity was below the minimum
Agricultural Business Initiative (aBi). It is threshold. From this innovation, ERA will work in partnership with
the first of its kind and the largest roof NUCAFE to provide lessons to other agricultural value chain actors
top industrial solar plant in Uganda for who may situated in off grid areas to use green energy and to
processing and manufacturing of coffee. make the enabling environment for small power generation more
favorable.
26 The Coffee Yearbook 2019-2020The NUCAFE solar plant
According to NUCAFE Executive
Director, Mr Joseph Nkandu, the
farmers body will optimize a
mixed energy grid to run its various
factories and machines that include,
pre-cleaning machines, mechanical
drier, hulling factory, grading
factory, colour sorter electronic
equipment, roasting factory,
grinding coffee plant, blending
mixer equipment, compressor and
all lighting. “In the past our activities
have been greatly hampered by
frequent power outages,” Nkandu
said in an interview, “but now with
the availability of this land mark
industrial solar power plant we hope
to do our work without interruption
due to power outages. Of course, Nkandu also disclosed that NUCAFE, as a limited company by guarantee
we are not going to completely stop which comprises of over 200 rural without share capital NUCAFE has
using hydroelectricity but this facility community-based coffee farmers worked towards empowering and
will greatly reduce our dependency associations and cooperatives organizing smallholder farmers to
on it. On the days when we don’t with over 1.5 million farmers, become the owners of their product
have sufficient sunshine or when the intends to acquire more industrial in order to have a bigger say over
batteries are down, we will still use solar plants for its hubs across the their crop’s financial transactions.
hydroelectricity.” country such as Kabonera Coffee It also provides knowledge about
Farmers’ Cooperative Society in better farming and harvesting skills
Nkandu further explained that Masaka District, Lwamaggwa Coffee to improve the quality of coffee in
NUCAFE has always aspired Farmers Cooperative Society in Rakai order to attract better prices and
towards zero carbon emissions District, Kagango Coffee Farmers’ higher household incomes. They
and being a no pollutant of the Cooperative Society in Sheema, have been able to make tremendous
environment as well as a climate Bushenyi District, and elsewhere. The progress in this direction by using
smart innovative organization. “By purpose of a mixed energy grid is what they call “Farmer Ownership
being a no pollutant, we knew we optimized primarily on affordability Model” which enables farmers
would be able to produce carbon while considering its sustainability in to take up more value addition
neutral coffee so that we would the long run. roles within the coffee value chain
operate in an eco-friendly specialty and reducing exploitation by
coffee to attract premium prices,” “I must also mention that this middlemen, which has helped the
he went on to explain. “I also have milestone achievement that was farmers to enjoy higher profits.
to point out that electricity costs launched in August would not have
from the national grid are so high been possible without the support Mrs. Josephine Mukumbya, Group
and therefore NUCAFE always of our sponsors, aBi Group through Chief Executive Officer, Agricultural
wanted to reduce processing costs aBi development Limited, the Danish Business Initiative (aBi commended
and then put more money into the Government and the government NUCAFE leadership and
pockets of farmers. After getting this of Uganda. We are further grateful management for its resilience and
facility we expect to save at least to our technical partners from NIRAS innovation. She said the acquisition
60% of the amount of money that International from Denmark, the of the industrial solar plant is bound
we have been spending on power Nordic Climate Facility (NCF) from to reduce NUCAFE’s overhead costs
every month. Farmers will save on the Nordic Development Fund for and to contribute profoundly to
electricity processing costs and their technical contribution.” farmers’ profits, production of better-
increase their income by at least quality coffee for export and increase
30%.” Since its formation way back in 1995 the farmers resilience.
The Coffee Yearbook 2019-2020 27You can also read
