The Rwenzori region currently comprised of 9 districts is known for growing both Arabica and Robusta Coffee, namely Bundibugyo, Ntoroko, Kabarole, Bunyangabu, Kasese, Kyenjojo, Kyegegwa, Kamwenge and Fort Portal. Ntoroko and Bundibugyo are known for Arabica coffee whereas Kasese, Kyegegwa, Kyenjojo, Bunyangabu, Fort Portal and Kabarole are known for both Arabica and Robusta coffee comprising more than 80,000 smallholder farmers. The farmers in the region are mostly women with a population of approximately three million five hundred people.
The coffee grown in region is approximately over 120,000 MT for both Arabica and robust as estimated annual production. While Uganda is known for both Arabica and Robusta coffee, AFCU farmers are only producing Arabica which is well-known in the Northern Rwenzori region.
Arabica Coffee can grow up to 12m high in the wild; its leaves are dark green and oval or oblong. A bright red berry is produced which contains two seeds. Arabica Coffee grows well in warm, temperate environments, usually at altitudes between 1,300 and 2,500 metres. The plants can grow to around 5 metres in height, although commercial plants are usually kept short. The leaves of the plant are dark green and it produces white flowers and deep red berries.
Arabica Coffee farmers pick the red berries by hand, floated in bucket water and remove the flesh by machine pulpers, leaving only the beans. The beans are then washed, fermented, washed again and dried before being hulled for market. In Uganda the four recommended and authorized Elite Arabica Coffee varieties are SL 14, SL28, KP423 and KP162.
Most gourmet coffee is produced from 100% Arabica beans.
It is a beverage with documented health benefits.
More competitive on the international market because of its superior quality.
Can be well integrated with other crops on the farm hence increasing returns to the farmer.
The investment in coffee within the Rwenzori region presents opportunities across the entire value chain from the farmer to the actual consumer. The Union is investing time and resources in developing a farmer network that guarantees traceability and high quality of production, developing the collecting, processing, packaging and storage abilities for the coffee produced marching world standards of specialty coffees. Quality control and management is the key profitability driver in the coffee value chain for participating in coffee trade and provides an opportunity for the farmer to obtain better prices. Coffee buyers, both local and foreign can have an opportunity for backward linkages as they look to sell high quality traceable coffee to the world market while making a positive social impact in the lives of thousands of farmers.
The AFCU investment plan in coffee is aligned with Uganda’s Vision2040, the National Development Plan 2025, the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Plan, the Agricultural Sector Development Plan for Uganda as well as the Local Government Investment Plans for the 9 districts within the Rwenzori region. It also presents an opportunity for the farmers’ Cooperative Union to have hands-on control over the entire value chain, thereby maximising returns while providing positive social impact to their lives and the entire Rwenzori region.
Sourcing AFCU approach of sourcing coffee is directly from its members farmers’ groups located in the Rwenzori region. Farmers receive hands-on training and equipment from AFCU to increase crop yield and quality. AFCU supervises production, tests quality, purchase the coffee from buying sites and arrange transport to AFCU warehouse for factory processing for export grading.
AFCU famers are organized in groups of 30/100. Each group is headed by a team leader (Chairperson) and a youth coordinator, known as a community resource person (CRP) who bridges with member cooperative, responsible for organizing, equipping, training, remunerating farmers all in the bid to ensure coffee production standards and tonnage is met.
Farmers’ groups are governed by own developed constitution and code of conducts with guidance with AFCU. AFCU holds regular meetings to discuss coffee quality, production and these groups’ doubles as savings and credit associations. AFCU provides logistics for transport coffee for centralized pulping at the factory.
Other support like permitted pesticides use, health and safety training and accessing is provided. Admission to the farmers’ groups is based on selection criteria and membership approval. Criteria are based on production capacity of the farmer (minimum of 100kg annually), cultural fit, and can include a production capacity of over 500kgs and take a 2-year vetting process. On average farmers have 100k trees producing 300 kgs of beans.
Farmers are encouraged to increase their production by doubling production in every 2 years, by reinvesting their earnings in land and planting more trees. AFCU capacity is building up financially to off-take all farmer produce supplied by farmers’ groups.
