Uganda showcases homegrown coffee brands at Swiss Coffee Festival
The Swiss Coffee Festival is Switzerland's largest coffee trade fair, attracting approximately 5,500 attendees and featuring 78 exhibition stands.
Coffee enthusiasts at the Uganda exhibition stalls during the 8th Swiss Coffee Festival in Zurich. (Courtesy)
_________________ Huge crowds at the Swiss Coffee Festival in Zurich. (Courtesy) (Courtesy)
Uganda made its debut at the 8th Swiss Coffee Festival, held recently in Zurich, marking an important milestone in efforts to promote Ugandan coffee and expand market opportunities for homegrown coffee brands in Switzerland.
The Swiss Coffee Festival is Switzerland's largest coffee trade fair, attracting approximately 5,500 attendees and featuring 78 exhibition stands.
Bringing together coffee producers, roasters, traders and enthusiasts, the Zurich fair (held from 31st October to 1st November), according to exhibitors from Kampala, offered Uganda access to a large audience of Swiss coffee consumers and industry professionals.
Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs report that through the Uganda mission in Geneva, a dedicated exhibition space was secured at the StageOne event hall in Zürich Oerlikon for Ugandan private sector companies.
A taste of Ugandan Coffee time in Zurich. (Courtesy)
Marcel Tibaleka, Uganda’s Ambassador to Switzerland and a guest during the 8th Swiss Coffee Festival in Zurich. (Courtesy)
"The direct interaction with Swiss coffee enthusiasts demonstrated the potential for Ugandan specialty coffee brands to establish a stronger presence in this important market," states a release from the ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Addressing coffee sector stakeholders at the Festival, Marcel Tibaleka, Uganda’s Ambassador to Switzerland, highlighted Uganda’s reputation as a producer of high-quality coffee and expressed the country’s commitment to strengthening its presence in the Swiss market.
“We are delighted to introduce more of Uganda’s exceptional coffee brands to Swiss consumers and look forward to building lasting partnerships with Swiss coffee traders, roasters and consumers,” Ambassador Tibaleka stated.
For the Ugandan companies like Gorilla Conservation Coffee and Carico Coffee, the festival provided an opportunity not only to generate sales but also to introduce their products and brand stories to a new international consumer base.
Several exhibitors from Kampala remarked that beyond generating direct sales for the Ugandan companies present, the Festival offered great opportunities. These include: enhanced visibility of Ugandan value-added coffee products, introduced homegrown brands to thousands of potential consumers and creating opportunities for new commercial partnerships.
These outcomes, according to the officials in Geneva, contribute to the Uganda Embassy in Switzerland’s ongoing efforts to expand Uganda's coffee exports, promote value addition and strengthen the country's position in the international specialty coffee market.
The ministry uses Economic and Commercial Diplomacy to expand global market access for Ugandan coffee. The campaign, sources say, has been successful.
Last month Nicolas Tamari, CEO of the Swiss multinational coffee company Sucafina Group, was in Uganda to explore partnerships in the Industry. During his working visit, Tamari held a meeting with President Yoweri Museveni in Entebbe on October 23. He has also engaged several officials at different ministries, including Foreign Affairs, Finance, and Agriculture. Discussions centred on investment opportunities and value addition in Uganda's coffee.
In another engagement, Tamari visited Kirema Heritage Farm in Nakaseke district, where he was hosted by Gen. Caleb Akandwanaho (Salim Saleh), the Chief Coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation.
The farm, with vast acreage of coffee and banana plantations, also offers agricultural demonstrations on livestock breeding.
A source at the Ministry of Agriculture who spoke to The New Vision said that during the meeting, Gen. Saleh and his guest discussed plans to expand investment in value addition. The OWC chief, who is also Senior Presidential Advisor of Defence, emphasised processing, roasting, packaging and marketing premium Ugandan coffee to global markets.