MICHAEL N
Nelson Tugume, the Chief Executive Officer of Africa Coffee Park, has called on local leaders to take the lead in promoting coffee farming within their communities as a sustainable way of boosting household incomes.
Tugume made the remarks on Sunday during a meeting with LC1, LC2 and LC3 chairpersons, as well as NRM mobilizers from Ntungamo District, held at Africa Coffee Park in Rwashamaire, Kajara County.
Addressing the leaders, Tugume emphasized that leadership comes with the responsibility of setting an example. He urged them to actively engage in coffee farming themselves and influence the communities they lead to do the same, noting that coffee remains one of the most reliable income-generating crops for rural households.
He further encouraged local leaders to serve as ambassadors of coffee farming by sensitizing and educating farmers on best practices in planting, harvesting and proper care of coffee gardens in order to improve both quality and yields.
Tugume also challenged communities to change their mindset about coffee being only a raw cash crop for sale. He explained that coffee can be value-added within local communities to produce consumable products such as biscuits, sweets and other items, thereby increasing income opportunities and creating jobs.
The Ntungamo District LC5 Chairperson, Samuel Muchunguzi Rwakigoba, echoed Tugume’s message and urged leaders to mobilize households to fully embrace coffee farming. He encouraged every household to plant at least 50 coffee seedlings and to adopt the ideas shared during the meeting. Rwakigoba also called on residents living near lakes, swamps and other water bodies to apply to the district for free fish species in order to engage in fish farming, which he said would support livelihoods while promoting wetland conservation.
Rukoni East LC3 Chairperson, Steven Bamwine, welcomed the establishment of the Africa Coffee Park factory in Rwashamaire, noting that it will enable farmers to earn better incomes compared to selling to other factories. However, he appealed to the government to support farmers through the provision of crop fertilizers, citing the increasing number of residents now engaged in coffee farming.
Meanwhile, Tereza Kyomugisha, the LC1 Chairperson of Kahengere 1 Cell in Nyakyera Town Council, raised concerns about challenges affecting coffee farmers, including pests and diseases, premature coffee berries, price fluctuations and declining soil fertility. She called upon the Ministry of Agriculture and the government to provide more support to farmers, particularly those investing in coffee production.
The meeting underscored the growing importance of coffee farming in Ntungamo District and the critical role of local leadership in driving agricultural transformation and value addition.
