Simpson M
Coffee farmers in Rukungiri district have been cautioned against harvesting unripe coffee.
Speaking to the media, Naome Natukunda, the senior agriculture officer for Rukungiri district, emphasized that harvesting unripe coffee negatively affects the quality of the final product and disrupts the natural growth cycle of coffee plants, ultimately harming the entire coffee industry in the region.
Natukunda highlighted that coffee farming is one of the most lucrative cash crops in Uganda, with the current farm gate price for a kilogram of Arabica coffee at 12,000 UGX. She warned that continued harvesting of unripe coffee could cause the price to drop to as low as 5,000 UGX per kilogram. She urged coffee buyers to stop purchasing unripe coffee, stating that it not only affects the final product quality but also encourages coffee theft.
Philp Byaruhanga, a coffee farmer, noted that selling coffee while it is still unripe leads to significant income losses for farmers and negatively impacts the overall quality of the coffee. He argued that the drying process should be handled solely by farmers to prevent buyers from accepting unripe coffee, which fuels theft.
Shadrak Ahabwe, another coffee farmer from Buyanja, pointed out that the main issue lies with factories and buyers who purchase unripe coffee. He noted that farmers harvesting unripe coffee are indirectly harming themselves, as they will ultimately suffer from the poor outcomes.
Ahabwe also mentioned the challenge posed by middlemen who negotiate tough deals and buy coffee seasonally. He added that, while everyone knows coffee should be picked when ripe, many farmers are forced to harvest early due to thieves stealing from their gardens, which compromises the coffee quality.
