Promote coffee consumption for job creation

The increasing unemployment rate in the country will be reversed if young people embrace coffee growing as a business.

This is because coffee as a crop can create employment along the entire value chain, starting from operating a nursery for quality seeds, to the final product that is ready to be sold.

For youth looking for a jobs, they can invest in a coffee nursery, to sell quality seedlings, open up coffee shops or outlets with in their areas of preference and even growing it in their farms.

The call was made by the executive director Inspire Africa, Nelson Tugume ahead of the coffee exhibition that takes place at the Kampala Serena Hotel .

"Our interest in coffee as inspire Africa is first for the youth to get employment, through increased production for both local and international markets that will help government sell the 20 million bags by 202," Tugume said.

The campaign will be climaxed with a cocktail to exhibit different ways of selling, consuming, package, and growing coffee, marketing options among others.

It will attract experts in the sector to guide the youth on how to invest and create jobs in coffee sub sector, added Tugume. He added that what the youth want is the assurance that through coffee they will get jobs and an income.

"Assure the youth that from a kilo of well roasted coffee, he can get out 80 cups , if he sells at 4000 in  in a day  he will go back with not less than sh300,000.

Having benefited from one kilo he will go back to the village, look for land and grow more before you know it he will be having two acres. We shall have increased production for domestic consumption,' explained Tugume.

Quoting figures from the ministry of finance, Tugume said domestic coffee consumption at the moment stands at 3% earning the country about 340 million dollars and this contributes 1.3% of GDP.

"An increase to 20% will grow the contribution of domestic coffee consumption to 9% earning the country $2.3 billion, creating more than a million jobs and putting more money in the hands of youth farmers," said Tugume.

One of the reasons for low consumption of coffee according to Tugume is the long-term belief that coffee a cash crop meant for export. "We want to tell the young people that coffee is not a cash crop but a beverage that can even be consumed locally," he said.

What others say about Domestic coffee Consumption.

Increasing domestic coffee consumption will create jobs for the youth and empower our farmers financially which will improve the standard of living, says David Muwonge, Deputy Ed, NUCAFE.

Paul Wasirwa, a coffee farmer from Mbale

For us to produce more coffee they should help us find solutions to the coffee wilt disease and other diseases that affect coffee in our region.

Edith Mwanje,PS MEACA.. Increasing consumption domestically will increase Uganda's foreign exchange which help government deliver services.