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IBANDA - Medard Tukamuhabwa, of Ishongororo Town Council, in Ibanda North County was inspecting his coffee plantation recently when he discovered that he could have lost about sh100,000 worth of red coffee cherries to thieves. 

The model farmer says a person sneaked into his plantations and harvested about 20 kilogrammes of coffee two weeks ago. A kilo of red cherries is at over sh5,000 presently in Ibanda. Tukamuhabwa’s plantation is in a different village, a fact the suspect exploited to steal the coffee. 

“Although he was identified by the neighbours who informed me about the theft, he disappeared from the village on learning that the Police were looking for him,” adds the farmer.

This experience forced him to hire guards to protect his two plantations and keep the thieves, who often harvest unripe coffee, at bay.  

The farmer says many of the suspected coffee thieves are school dropouts from unstable families. Tukamuhabwa’s experience is shared by many farmers across Ibanda district.  

Apollo Bigirwa, a farmer in Nyamuswiga in Kagongo Division, said the thieves “seem like they are watching your every move”.

“When you go to church or it rains during the day, you will find the coffee has been harvested,” he adds.

The hardcore thieves come at night and break into people's stores, he added, saying that the vice was increasing, reminiscing of the time vanilla prices were still high.

Linus Barya, a coffee grower from Nyakateete in Kigarama ward, Bisheshe Division, who has also fallen victim, said farmers have been forced to guard their plantations around the clock to deter the thieves.

He said a neighbour who deployed local guard dogs and left harvested coffee outside overnight, woke up to an empty space the next morning. The neighbour lost over two sacks of half-dry coffee cherries to his unseen night visitors, added Barya. 

Coffee farmer Apollo Bigirwa (left) and Peter Abaho (right) Ibanda district principal agricultural officer. (All Photos by Stephen Nuwagira)

Vandalism

Januario Turyateemba, chairman of Kashangura Coffee Cooperative Society in Kagongo Division, Ibanda Municipality, said the thieves were destroying the plantations and break branches and ‘harvest’ the coffee indiscriminately taking both the green and red cherries.

This affects quality besides hurting farmers, who incur losses through lost sales and in efforts to restore the damaged plants.

Turyateemba added that some thieves even cut branches off coffee trees and carry them to bushes from where they pick the cherries.

He encourages farmers to guard their plantations, saying the thefts will increase as coffee prices continue to rise and blames middlemen for fuelling the thefts, arguing that they only care about making money.

“If someone has no coffee plantation, why do you buy from them even in awkward hours? So, these people should be investigated because they might, actually, be the ones sending these boys to steal our coffee,” said Turyateemba. 

Leaders weigh in

Commenting on the issue, Adriano Kweyamba, the Kagongo Division chairperson, noted that since the fall of vanilla prices, thieves have resorted to stealing coffee and domestic animals.

The LCIII leader said the thefts deny the farmers income and needed to be addressed urgently. He advised the coffee farmers to inspect their plantations regularly to deter the would-be thieves.

Peter Abaho, the Ibanda district principal agriculture officer, said the thefts have become a security threat, calling on the district security committee to intervene before the situation gets out of hand. He blamed youth who don’t want to work, but like ‘good life’.

He also said the thefts could be fuelled by individuals who refused to plant coffee when the government was giving out free seedlings.

“About 12 years ago, the government was giving out free coffee seedlings but some people refused to embrace the programme. What the government was targeting has now come to pass. However, those who never planted the coffee also want to ‘reap from where they didn’t sow’. That could be the driver of the current wave of thefts,” he opined.   

He however said that the Ibanda Magistrate’s Court has been cooperative by hearing cases of agricultural produce thefts fast and jailing anyone found guilty as provided by the law.

Theft contravenes sections 254 (i) and 261 of the Penal Code Act, and one can get up to 10 years behind bars when found guilty.

Coffee growing is one of the four enterprises being supported by Ibanda district to help get residents out of poverty. The enterprises, including dairy and banana growing, seek to create sustainable sources of livelihood among households of ordinary Ugandans. 

Ending poverty in all its forms supports goal number one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).