The Chief Minister spoke to officials of the coffee development authority
The Kingdom has urged the Government not to abolish the Uganda Coffee Development Authority for the sake of the country's development.
This plea was made during a meeting between the UCDA Board Chairman, Dr. Ben Mugoya, and Kingdom Officials led by the Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga at the Bulange Mengo.
The Katikkiro emphasised that the UCDA represents the country in exploring the export market for coffee, providing quality coffee to farmers, and guiding them on modern coffee farming methods. He stated that farmers have benefited from these initiatives, and dissolving the Uganda Coffee Development Authority would set the country back economically, leading to increased poverty among the people.
The Kingdom also advocates for the inclusion of youths in coffee growing programs, prioritising them to prevent reliance solely on activities like bodaboda riding.
Additionally, the Katikkiro encourages the involvement of women in coffee growing, highlighting their diligence in performing assigned tasks.
The UCDA Board Chairman requested Katikkiro to lead efforts to ensure that Ugandan coffee reaches the European Union market.
The Prime Minister inaugurated the coffee processing machine
The Minister of Agriculture, Markets, and Cooperatives, Hon Hajji Amisi Kakomo, acknowledged that the partnership with UCDA has positively impacted the lives of people, extending to the provinces of Buganda and showing potential for further expansion.
Dr A.S. Ben Ssekamatte, the Board Chairman of BUCADEF, highlighted the alliance's success in eradicating poverty and fostering enthusiasm for coffee growing among the people in the areas they visited. The communities are highly enthusiastic about the initiative, leading to an increased demand for seeds and seedlings.
He emphasised that, despite the accomplishments, there remains a need to train farmers in soil conservation and proper coffee cultivation. This training is essential for extracting the necessary quality improvements in coffee, ensuring it meets the required standards. The goal is to distribute the improved coffee to farmers in the provinces.
He underscored the ongoing importance of farmers protecting their land and adopting correct coffee farming practices to enhance the overall quality, a crucial step in distributing the improved coffee to farmers in the provinces.
The meeting aimed to review achievements and challenges since the establishment of the partnership between UCDA and the Buganda Kingdom. As a token of appreciation, the Uganda Coffee Development Authority has donated a coffee processing machine to the kingdom.