Coffee farmers warned against harvesting immature berries
"The country is disappointed by farmers who don't abide by the set regulations of ensuring quality coffee, ending up affecting its coffee products on the world market," Magezi said.
Some of the employees at Agri Evolve selecting coffee at one of their yards. (Photos by Samuel Amanyire)
By Samuel Amanyire
Journalists @New Vision
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Coffee farmers in Uganda have been urged to harvest only ripe coffee cherries to maintain their excellent quality and continue to benefit from the bumper prices across the world market.
Local government minister Raphael Magyezi says farmers must ditch the practice of harvesting immature green coffee cherries, start picking the red mature ones and use recommended clean drying methods to be able to maintain the coffee's quality.
The minister, who says proper harvesting and post-harvesting methods will ensure farmers earn handsomely from their produce, made the call in Kisinga Town Council of Kasese district, on Wednesday, August 20, while visiting Agri Evolve Company Ltd, which buys and processes coffee.
"The country is disappointed by farmers who don't abide by the set regulations of ensuring quality coffee, ending up affecting its coffee products on the world market," Magezi said.
He also urged the residents not to worry about the thieves who might fail them in implementing President Yoweri Museveni's four-acre model, saying the Government is trying to up its local security at the sub-county level to ensure that the Parish Development Model (PDM) funds are productively utilised to grow more coffee.
"That one million can earn you over eight million per season should you venture into planting coffee on your land," he said.
Jonathan speaks out
Agri Evolve director Jonathan David Rowlan said there is a need to address the challenges faced by coffee farmers, including a lack of enough capital and poor roads, among others, to ensure that they venture into the production of quality coffee.
Local government minister Raphael Magezi urging farmers to always harvest ready coffee.
"Yearning for quick money is one of the reasons farmers harvest immature coffee," Rowland said.
"As Agri Evolve, we have organised several sensitisation meetings with our farmers, including making community outreach to ensure that they harvest good cherries. We also empower them financially by giving them soft loans," he added.
Kasese District leaders speak out
However, Kasese District Chief Administrative officer (CAO) Paul Walakira advised the local residents to take advantage of Agri Evolve, a company that provides them with a ready market for their coffee to develop their families, including educating their children and constructing good houses, among others.
Kisinga town council LC3 chairperson Doviko Thembo said Agri Evolve permanently employs about 100 workers and 400 people per season, improving their livelihoods.
Magezi assured the gathering that he would write to the Kasese District Local Government to officially grant Agri Evolve free leased land in Kisinga worth 21.7 acres for 49 years, to enable them to continue dealing in coffee, looking at how it has awesomely benefited the community.