Top German coffee dealers in Uganda for farm tour

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A team of 13 top coffee buyers and roasters from Germany is in Uganda for a week-long tour of coffee plantations in different parts of the country.

The group, which arrived on May 2, 2026, will traverse various coffee farms as one way of bridging the gap between Ugandan coffee producers and German roasters.

Their trip was organised by the Embassy of Uganda in Berlin, Germany, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), as well as Little Farms Coffee (Bamberg) and Sera Wild Coffee (Cologne), both in Germany.

The group of German coffee dealers together with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the agriculture ministry during their engagement. (Photo by Julius Luwemba)

The group, led by Ambassador Stephen Mubiru, Uganda's representative in Germany, met agriculture state minister Fred Bwino Kyakulaga at the ministry headquarters in Entebbe Municipality. During their meeting on Monday (May 4), Ambassador Mubiru underscored Uganda's coffee prominence on the German market, saying the country exports 51,720 metric tonnes of coffee to Germany alone.

"The trade volume between Uganda and Germany is approximately $500m, out of which, over $300m are exports from Uganda," Mubiru noted.

He further explained that Germany is among the top three European countries that consume Uganda's coffee.

"We have about 800 companies in Germany that roast Uganda's coffee for a population of 84 million people in Germany," he stated.

The German coffee dealers also said that Uganda's coffee possesses natural ingredients and aroma. Jie Li, a co-founder of L-Cultrade Business Group with offices in Germany and China, noted that the company buys Ugandan coffee, which is subsequently sold to over 52 universities in both Germany and China.

"Therefore, I am here to learn more about the coffee value chain and also inspire more of our students and customers about the tasty Ugandan coffee and the country's beauty in terms of culture, weather and landscapes," Li expressed.

Jesca Namuddu, an official at Uganda's embassy in Germany, explained that the visit of German coffee entrepreneurs is part of a commercial diplomacy initiative.

"This technical visit represents a strategic investment in the ascent of Uganda's coffee sector. Beyond a standard field visit, this trip serves as a high-level sourcing mission designed for vetted roasters to secure premium orders and establish enduring direct trade relationships," Namuddu said.

Value chain ambitions

This was echoed by minister Kyakulaga, who noted that the visit will promote Uganda as a premium and reliable coffee origin and showcase improvements in quality, traceability and sustainability in Uganda's coffee sector. According to the minister, $460b is generated from coffee on the global market, out of which Africa contributes only 20 percent of the global coffee volume. 

"Unfortunately, our share as Africa is a little minimal because we are mainly into the production side of the chain and cleaning, whereas other actors pick from there to process and add more value, hence earning more than the producers," Bwino pointed out.

He noted that the 20 percent of the global volume produced by Africa translates into $3.6b, out of which Uganda takes the biggest share of $2.2b.

"Therefore, Uganda is a big player in the coffee industry, mainly because our coffee is grown organically without much fertilisers and pesticides used," the minister stated.

Kyakulaga revealed the government's plan for Uganda to participate in coffee processing and other value chain production over the next fifteen years. He thus courted the German coffee dealers to invest in Uganda's coffee production and processing, outlining a range of investment incentives that the country offers.

"This tour should be an entry point for more opportunities in the coffee production and value chain," Kyakulaga said.

After the Monday meeting at MAAIF, the German coffee dealers headed to Ian Clark's coffee farm in Kyarusozi, Kyenjojo district, from where they will visit another coffee farm in Kiruhura district, Kabonera Farm, among other sites in Kampala, Wakiso and Kapchorwa.

They are also scheduled to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park, among other tourism sites.