“At a lot of space is wasted in over spacing coffee and this needs to change,” says a agronomist.
Uganda currently produces 4.6million bags of coffee as of 2016 report but according to experts in the coffee industry the country has the capability of producing more than that.
Uganda is looking at producing 20million bags but if we are to continue with the planting style of over spacing the trees then it will require us to have 20 million hectares of land which isn’t possible with this growing population.
Currently farmers give a space of 3 metres between each tree which makes the planting density low hence low output.
Farmers must do things different from what they have been doing before; the country has to apply science if they aim at being on the same level like the Brazil.
Uganda has the highest population of both women and youth but these are absent from the coffee production chain yet they can also bring a change in the sector.
There is need to work in an eco system without leaving out any part. Women and youth don’t have land to grow coffee and others can wait that long to earn from coffee but they can do nurseries for coffee to earn a leaving and other things.
Farmers to stop selling red cherries of coffee or else they will die poor as they continue to earn little from their sweat. This is because they in the long run would have sold the quality seeds for the next planting season.
