Coffee farmers in Tooro have decided to form Tooro Coffee Cooperative Union to strengthen their bargaining power, improve market access, and increase incomes from coffee farming. The decision was reached during a meeting held at Kalya Courts Hotel in Fort Portal City. The meeting brought together coffee farmers, cooperative leaders, religious leaders, and district officials from the districts of Kamwenge, Kyenjojo, Kyegegwa, Bunyangabu, and Kabarole to discuss ways of promoting coffee production and ensuring that farmers benefit more from the crop.
Charity Tusingwire, a coffee farmer from Bunyangabu District who was elected as the interim Chairperson of the Tooro Coffee Cooperative Union, said the new union will provide a collective platform through which farmers can market their produce, access quality agricultural inputs, receive training, and negotiate better prices for their coffee.
She noted that the union will also make it easier to identify and organize coffee farmers across the region, encouraging more people to join the coffee value chain and benefit from the sector.
Caroline Matsiko, a youth coffee farmer from Kamwenge District, said that the youth and women have often been marginalized in coffee marketing despite playing a major role in production.
She noted that the lack of funds and land has always discouraged the youth from the coffee business, but with the birth of the Union, she is hopeful that the youth will be able to get funding to enable them to venture into coffee farming.
Patrick Kiiza from the Uganda Cooperative Alliance said the cooperative union, which is undergoing the formal registration process, will help farmers overcome challenges associated with operating individually. He explained that through collective marketing, farmers will be able to attract larger buyers, reduce exploitation by middlemen, and improve the quality and value of their coffee.
Kiiza added that the union will also improve farmers’ access to financial services, extension support, and government programs aimed at boosting coffee production.
Ronald Mutegeki, the Deputy Minister for Information in Tooro Kingdom, urged the newly elected cooperative leaders to serve with integrity, commitment, and transparency in order to build a strong and sustainable institution that will effectively serve farmers.
Mutegeki said Tooro Kingdom remains committed to promoting coffee growing through the Tooro Kingdom Youth Empowerment Project, under which young people are being provided with coffee seedlings for planting.
He added that the Kingdom has established coffee seedling nursery beds in all its counties to supply quality seedlings to subjects. T
The Kingdom has also set up the King Oyo Demonstration Farm, where modern coffee farming practices are showcased, and farmers receive practical training and guidance on coffee production. Uganda is one of Africa’s largest coffee exporters, shipping over 8.2 to 8.9 million 60-kg bags of coffee annually. This export volume generates over 2.5 billion dollars in export revenue for the country-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
