Uganda – The Uganda Embassy in Berlin conducted a nine-day Coffee Origin FAM Tour across Uganda, bringing together German coffee roasters, buyers, and quality assurance experts to explore Uganda’s coffee value chain from production and research to processing and export certification.
The tour commenced at the National Coffee Research Institute (NaCORI), where Director Dr. Geoffrey Arinaitwe highlighted coffee’s contribution to rural transformation, household incomes, and Uganda’s export economy. He emphasised opportunities in specialty coffee, traceability, value addition, and the importance of continued investment in research and climate-resilient coffee varieties. Participants later attended a coffee cupping session organised by the Commercial Coffee Producers Association of Uganda (CCPAU) in Bugolobi, followed by a networking engagement at Bougainvillea Hotel aimed at strengthening collaboration across the coffee sector.
Led by Ambassador Stephen Mubiru, the delegation also held discussions at the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) with the Minister of State for Agriculture, Hon. Fred Bwino Kyakulaga. The Minister noted that bilateral trade between Uganda and Germany stands at nearly USD 500 million, with Ugandan exports largely coffee accounting for approximately USD 300 million. He reaffirmed Germany’s position as one of Uganda’s leading coffee importers and emphasised the strong partnership between the two countries. Field visits included Mountain Harvest Coffee Farm and Sera Wild Coffee where delegates observed sustainable Arabica coffee production, post-harvest handling, and quality assurance systems. Uganda’s annual coffee exports of more than 7 million 60-kilogram bags, contributing over 20 percent of foreign exchange earnings, were highlighted as evidence of the sector’s strategic importance.
The tour also integrated Uganda’s tourism potential, with visits to the Equator in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kazinga Channel, and Sipi Falls, reinforcing Uganda’s position as both a premier coffee origin and tourism destination. In Ntungamo District, delegates visited Nyabihoko Coffee Farm and the Africa Coffee Park in Rwashamaire, where Inspire Africa Group showcased modern coffee processing technologies, including roasting, milling, freeze-drying, and packaging systems aimed at increasing value addition and export earnings. Additional visits to Hope Coffee Uganda Limited in Ssanje and JOKISA Mixed Farm near Masaka highlighted traceability systems, farmer-centered financing models, cooperative production, youth employment, and women’s empowerment initiatives within Uganda’s coffee sector.
The tour further showcased Uganda’s growing commitment to sustainable and organic farming practices, including environmentally friendly inputs and integrated farming systems. Stakeholders also discussed sector challenges such as declining soil fertility, aging plantations, limited processing infrastructure, and market access constraints, while emphasizing the need for enhanced farmer training, pricing systems, and traceability mechanisms. The mission concluded at the MAAIF Coffee Laboratory and Cupping Facility at the UMA Show Grounds in Lugogo, where delegates received final briefings on certification and quality assurance systems as they reaffirmed Uganda’s strong potential for expanded trade, investment, value addition, and tourism integration, while further strengthening long-term economic partnerships between Uganda and Germany.
