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WORLD YOUTH FESTIVAL 

SOCHI - Ugandan farmers have been urged to explore the Russian market to sell their coffee to satisfy the market demand.

Ugandan ambassador to Russia Moses Kizige says Uganda has signed multiple memorandums of understanding (MOUs), one of which is with Russia's biggest media company to specifically showcase Uganda's coffee.

“It has the most read Print Media. They also have Radio and TV stations in almost all the Russian Federation regions. They make DJ mentions during their programmes on radio, and Ugandan coffee is sold at all outlets,” he added.

Another MoU is with the Russian Orthodox Church to have only Ugandan Coffee at all their churches and another with Vnukovo International Airport, guaranteeing that only Ugandan Coffee will be served there (airport).

This was during an interview with New Vision Online on the sidelines of the ongoing World Youth Festival (WYF) in the Russian City of Sochi on March 5, 2024.

The festival under the theme: For peace, solidarity, and social justice, ends on March 7, 2024. The event also aims to facilitate global youth co-operation through discussions, sports competitions, and cultural exchanges, among others.

Kizige highlighted the ongoing challenge of meeting the demand for roasted (processed) coffee, despite successfully accessing the Russian market.

Davis Akampurira (L), head of the organizing committee for the World Youth Festival in Uganda with other participants during The World Youth Festival in Russia, Sochi - March 05, 2024. (All Photos by Hajarah Nalwadda)

“The challenge we are facing now is organising the Ugandan coffee exporters, to work as a consortium. We also have to get all of them to include the Russian Language in the packaging. The plant being constructed by Nelson Tugume in Ntungamo Western Uganda, should be completed immediately. But we need many players, for us to be able to satisfy the Russian market,” he noted.

He stated that with the establishment of a successful consortium of coffee exporters, farmers can expect to receive enhanced prices for their produce.

“The farmers shall definitely get better prices for their coffee. The Russian market addresses the issue of value addition which President Yoweri Museveni has always been talking about,” he added.

Uganda was represented at the youth forum by a delegation of 30 young people from different sectors. 

“Presently in Sochi Olympics City, we have more than 40,000 youths from different parts of the world, including US. The Ugandan delegation is interacting with these other young people, in areas of ICT, Artificial Intelligence, Corporate Governance, political engagements, and most importantly international business exposure. These connections they are making, are eye-opening, but can lead to serious engagements,” he said.

Kizige mentioned that young people have had access to cutting-edge technology in various fields and have been able to witness the offerings of the Russian Federation.

Demand for improved technology

Davis Akampurira, the head of the organising committee for the WYF in Uganda and leader of the Ugandan delegation, expressed their interest in gaining insights from cutting-edge technology to enhance agricultural value-addition practices.

“Since we came here, our focus has been on modern agricultural technology, and how we can add value to our raw materials in Uganda. The European Union has been picking raw materials from Uganda, adding value, and then reselling them to us at a very high price. So, I think this is good for us to see how we can add value and export more to grow our economy,” he added.

Moses Kizige (R), Uganda Ambassador to the Russia Federation talking to participants attending the Worth Youth Festival in Russia.

Akampurira emphasized that the lack of attractiveness in agriculture is the main reason many young people avoid it.

However, he believes that with the implementation of appropriate technologies and government support, more young individuals would willingly choose to join the agricultural sector including graduates.

He further highlighted this is also crucial in combating youth unemployment and eradicating poverty in the country.

“Agriculture is the comparative advantage that must we cherish to lift people's livelihood. Let us see how our people can benefit from the market for processed coffee,” he noted.

Given that the majority of the population, around 78%, is under the age of 35 and the unemployment rate around 4.6%, experts highlight the crucial role of investing in the agricultural sector as a means to combat unemployment.

Over the years, many Ugandans have relied on agriculture for their livelihood, but continue facing a number of issues like poor harvests, price fluctuations,  and limited market.

This has led to a significant number of individuals, especially the youth, dismissing this sector due to the perceived lack of profitability, despite the substantial investment needed.

Participants attend the World Youth Festival in the Sirius Federal Territory, Russia, Sochi – March 05, 2024. (Credit: WYF)

Akampurira also pointed out that Russia increased the number of scholarships for Ugandan students from 50 to 200, which is an opportunity for Ugandans to study in Russia.

The participation of Uganda in the festival, as emphasized by Vladlen Semivolos, the Russian Ambassador to Uganda, serves to deepen the ties between the two countries and foster connections with youth from diverse backgrounds.

He also emphasized the crucial role that young people play in strengthening the bilateral relations between Russia and Uganda, citing education scholarship programs as a tangible manifestation of this commitment.

Semivolos underscored the festival's focus on promoting universal human values and envisioned it as a platform for advancing a multipolar world.