By Bwayo Emma
Uganda’s coffee industry has deep roots, especially here around the slopes of Mount Elgon in the Elgon Region. For generations, coffee has been more than just a crop, it’s been a way of life, a means of survival, and a legacy passed from one generation to the next.
Coffee is part of our identity, and for many, like my family and community, coffee defines our livelihoods. Our homes and schools, and even Uganda’s path to independence, owe much to the iconic coffee bean.
In Bugisu, Coffee farmers built a legacy that began long before the government took notice, with local organizations like the Bugisu Cooperative Union (BCU) in 1954 leading the way in marketing Bugisu coffee and funding transformative community projects. It is also thanks to their contributions that Uganda achieved independence, with Bugisu contributing 300,000 pounds of the funds required for this national milestone.
When the NRM government introduced the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) in 1991, it was a sign of support for this vital sector. Over the years, UCDA has made substantial contributions, from providing farm inputs to supporting coffee distribution and farmer education.
Yet, with the recent move to integrate UCDA back under the Ministry of Agriculture as part of the RAPEX reforms, some farmers are worried this change might disrupt these services.
However, the government’s intentions are clear: the goal is to avoid wasteful spending, improve service delivery, and optimize resource allocation across sectors. The Ministry of Agriculture is the logical parent for UCDA, given the holistic approach needed to support both crop production and rural livelihoods. Returning UCDA to the ministry should actually be seen as a vote of confidence in our agricultural sector. It’s an acknowledgment that coffee farming, like other areas of agriculture, deserves a consolidated, streamlined approach.
Certainly, UCDA has delivered essential services to farmers, and we should recognize its achievements. However, no agency is without flaws. From delayed payments to nursery operators and contractors, to the high costs of certain services, there are areas where efficiency could improve. Instead of resisting change, we should embrace it as an opportunity to make UCDA even stronger, more responsive, and cost-effective.
The return of UCDA to the Ministry of Agriculture offers a fresh start, one that reduces bureaucratic redundancies and redirects valuable resources toward critical services. For too long, certain politicians have attempted to leverage coffee issues for political gain, yet the real solution lies in a unified vision that puts the needs of coffee farmers at the forefront.
By supporting this move, we show our faith in the government’s broader agricultural vision, one designed to support all farmers.
As a proud coffee farmer from Mount Elgon, I encourage my fellow farmers to trust this process and embrace the potential for greater efficiency and growth. The government’s intentions are good, and with UCDA’s legacy joining forces with the Ministry of Agriculture, we can hope for a more sustainable, prosperous future in Uganda’s coffee fields.
The writer is a Coffee Farmer based in the Elgon Region
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