Uganda is increasingly earning big from coffee
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has said that the Government is targeting to increase Uganda’s coffee revenue from 1 Billion US dollars to 5 Billion Dollars from the coffee value chain.
The President was speaking on Tuesday in Karuhungu Rwashamaire Town Council, Ntungamo District after inspecting the Inspire Africa Coffee processing industrial hub project.
Museveni said that the country has a target to export 20 million bags of coffee by 2030 in anticipation of collecting close to 5 billion US Dollars above the current $1 billion from the green bean exports.
According to Museveni, Uganda was losing significant value by exporting unprocessed coffee at 2.5 US Dollars per kilo to countries like Japan, which do not produce coffee but process it and sell it for 40 US Dollars.
He also warned those he claimed are fighting investment in the coffee value chain.
The coffee processing hub is owned by Nelson Tugume, who recently came under scrutiny for alleged failure to provide accountability for 37 billion Shillings that was disbursed to the Coffee Investment Consortium Uganda (CICU) for coffee value chain investment.
CICU is a consortium that unites coffee stakeholders in the country to add value to coffee and promote the export of value-added coffee from Uganda.
Tugume told the President that construction of the Modern Coffee Processing industrial park was at 60 percent. Construction of the park started in October 2023.
According to Tugume, construction works will be completed in December and will produce instant coffee, drip coffee, malt coffee, coffee energy drinks, and coffee beauty cosmetics.
The Bishop of South Ankole Diocese, Nathan Ahimbisibwe, welcomed the establishment of the modern Coffee Industrial Park in the region, emphasizing that it would create new market opportunities and bring hope to the coffee farmers.
-URN
