The Ministry of Water and Environment, through the Natural Resources Defense Initiative-NRDI, has handed over three generators to coffee farmers in the Nyamwamba catchment area of Kasese District to support them in adding value to their coffee produce.
The 50,000W generators were provided to three cooperatives in Bulembia Division, Mbunga, and Kilembe Sub Counties. These generators will power the coffee processing plants, enabling them to carry out on-site processing. The NRDI, established by the ministry last year, focuses on implementing restoration activities in the river’s upstream areas.
These activities include tree planting along riverbanks to restore degraded land, as well as livelihood improvement initiatives to enhance the incomes of communities within the catchment area. Zalot Kipura, the NRDI field coordinator, explained that while the farmers had seen improvements in their yields due to better agronomic training, the lack of electricity had been a significant challenge.
This resulted in high transportation costs to bring their coffee to processing centers in Kasese town. To address this, the NRDI also supported the construction of modern processing units that will benefit individual farmers in the surrounding areas.
Although the restoration project contract officially ended in May, the organization plans to continue providing technical guidance to farmers to ensure they fully benefit from the infrastructure provided.
Local leaders are optimistic about the impact of operational coffee processing plants. Richard Bomera, the Bulembia LCIII chairperson, believes that farmers will no longer be exploited by buyers offering low prices for unprocessed coffee. With the ability to process their coffee effectively, farmers can take control of prices and the timing of sales.
Pauline Bwambale, the LC III Kilembe Sub County representative, expressed hope that a functioning coffee processing unit would attract more farmers to cultivate the cash crop, as the low prices for unprocessed coffee had discouraged many potential growers.
Members of coffee farmer cooperatives, such as Chachimwa Anatabhuwa from the Kathoma cooperative in Mbuga Sub County, welcomed the generators as a relief from the high expenses of transporting their produce to Kasese town for processing.
However, they emphasized the need for improved road infrastructure to facilitate easier connectivity between buyers and sellers.
Tom Mbayendere, the chairperson of Kibandama parish coffee farmers cooperative, highlighted the financial benefits of the processing unit. Not only will it benefit cooperative members, but it will also allow non-cooperative farmers to process their coffee at a cost, thus enhancing the cooperative’s finances.
The overall goal of supporting communities around the Nyamwamba River is to alleviate pressure on the catchment area caused by activities like sand mining. Additionally, it aims to engage the communities in responsible usage and conservation efforts of the catchment area.
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