By Weswa Ronnie
MBALE
As a way to improve on coffee production in Bugisu region, farmers under Bugisu cooperative union BCU have asked government to support them in value addition by availing them with a machine which produces soluble coffee.
This was revealed on Friday last week by Nathan Nandala Mafabi, the BUC chairman also doubling as Member of Parliament representing Budadiri west consistency in Sironko district while speaking to hundreds of coffee farmers and delegates under BCU during annual general meeting at head offices located at Dokho, Industrial city division in Mbale city.
According to Nandala, value addition is the only way to go if farmers and government want to get more money in coffee produced in Bugisu region.
“When government avails the Union with the machine it will help them to produce soluble powdered coffee which can be exported outside the country at high amount of money compared to raw coffee,” Mr . Nandala said.
Nandala added that BCU needs around 200 million shillings to purchase the machine which is currently not there.
John Musila, the BCU vice chairman also doubling as Member of Parliament representing Bubulo east constituency in Namisindwa district also expressed his happiness with the increased number of farmers bringing their coffee to BCU.
He said this is happening because BCU board with stakeholders held different zonal meetings last year preaching the gospel to farmers about advantages of selling their coffee to BCU than to middlemen.
He added that those meetings have yielded good fruits because currently all stores of BCU are full with 8 million kilograms of coffee up from 6 million kilograms they used to collect in previous years.
“We are waiting for the world market of coffee to stabilize such that we can sell our coffee because it looks unfair for BCU to sell coffee of farmers at the current low price,” Mr Musila said.
Musila also urged coffee farmers in Bugisu region to always sell their coffee to BCU as a way of boosting the price of coffee and benefiting in terms of getting free fertilizers, farming tools among others they have been offering to farmers every year.
Minister for trade and cooperatives, Fredrick Gume Ngobi who was the guest of honor during the function said that government is ready to support coffee farmers under Bugisu cooperative union in all means urging farmers to support the current board.
Mr. Ngobi added that he is going to sell the idea of buying a machine which processes coffee into soluble powder to the President during cabinet meeting saying he is sure the President will approve.
“Parliament has already passed reinstating cooperative banks in the country which will help farmers to get agricultural loans, saving money of farmers, among other benefits,” Minister Ngobi said.
Samson Wazala, a coffee farmer from Lwakhakha zone expressed his happiness with the Minister’s information saying since cooperative banks were scrapped off by government, farmers are facing challenges like getting agricultural loans at cheap interest rates, saving their money among other benefits.
He added that those banks should be extended to deep village areas such that farmers can benefit than basing them mainly in town yet farmers are in villages.
Stephen Mazune, also a coffee from Sironko valley zone urged BCU leaders to avail coffee pulp machines at all primary levels such that farmers can pulp their coffee in time.
” Most farmers fail to pulp their coffee in time due to lack of pulping machines which affects the quality of coffee leading to low price at world market because the taste is not good compared to coffee which is pulped in time,” Mr .Mazune said.
They also called for quick payment of farmers in time by the BCU authorities since farmers have lots of problems which need money.
