Museveni tips on coffee value addition

Feb 16, 2008

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has called for more coffee processing factories in Africa to create jobs and fight poverty.

By Alfred Wasike
and Peter Kaujju


PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has called for more coffee processing factories in Africa to create jobs and fight poverty.

“The total value of coffee drank in the world per year is at least $100b. But out of this, coffee producing countries get only $12b. With 400 billion cups consumed annually, coffee is the world’s favourite beverage. But most of this value is siphoned out of Africa.

“When you sell unprocessed coffee you earn only $2 per kilo, when you add value you earn $10-70 per kilo,” Museveni stressed while opening the 5th African Fine Coffee Conference & Exhibition at the Kampala Serena Hotel yesterday.

The conference, which is an annual event, attracted hundreds of delegates from Africa, Europe, Asia and the US. They included Erastus Mwencha, COMESA Secretary General, Nestor Osorio, and the Director of International Coffee Organisation.

Museveni said coffee processors would create jobs like planting, dehusking, roasting, grinding, packing and others. “I am glad there are Ugandans like Andrew Rugasira of Good Africa Coffee and Bugisu Coffee who are creating value.”

Museveni said that Uganda, with a suitable climate and good soils can quadruple its production from the current 151 metric tonnes per year. “But I want the economics to be sorted out first. We need markets in the USA, Europe and Asia,” he said.

Museveni lamented that Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi consume only 1% of their produce. “We should encourage our people to drink coffee. Science has now proved that coffee is good for health. It prevents certain cancer, improves memory plus other advantages.”

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