The Uganda government has distributed 8,000 modern coffee seedlings to farmers in Masaka District, to increase coffee production, raise household incomes and support national poverty eradication efforts. 

The initiative, part of a broader campaign to promote coffee as a cash crop, has drawn attention to the potential of youth participation in agriculture as a long-term strategy to tackle unemployment and poverty.

Masaka District, a key coffee-producing region in Uganda, has received 8,000 modern coffee seedlings through the office of former Vice President Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi. 

Beneficiaries, mainly from Kyannamukaaka and Kyesiiga sub-counties, are expected to use the seedlings to boost production, improve their livelihoods, and contribute to the national poverty reduction agenda.

The initiative aligns with the Buganda Kingdom campaign “Emwanyi Terimba,” which encourages residents to adopt coffee farming as a sustainable source of income. 

Speaking at the handover ceremony in Bulegeya Village, Oscar Mutebi, an aide to Mr Ssekandi, emphasised the importance of youth engagement in agriculture. 

“Government wants young people to take coffee seriously so that they can secure their future and move away from poverty,” he said.

Mutebi also highlighted the need for government support in providing fertilisers to enhance crop yields and quality, and appealed for livestock programmes to assist landless farmers. 

Joseph Kizito Kawonawo, coordinator of special duties in Ssekandi’s office, urged farmers not to sell the seedlings but to plant and manage them properly for long-term economic benefits.

Agricultural extension worker John Baptist Matovu advised farmers to consult trained agricultural officers to avoid losses from poor planting practices. While farmers welcomed the intervention, they also flagged persistent challenges affecting the sector, including coffee wilt disease, high fertiliser costs, and counterfeit agro-inputs.

Source: Nile Post