The Ministry of Water and Environment, in collaboration with the Natural Resources Defense Initiative, has presented three generators to coffee farmers in the Nyamwamba catchment area of Kasese District. This initiative aims to assist the farmers in enhancing the value of their coffee produce.

The generators, with a combined power capacity of fifty thousand watts, have been provided to three cooperatives located in Bulembia Division, Mbunga, and Kilembe Sub Counties. These generators will be used to supply electricity to coffee processing plants, enabling on-site processing of the coffee beans.

The Natural Resources Defense Initiative, established by the ministry last year, primarily focuses on implementing various restoration activities in the upstream areas of the river. These activities include planting trees along the riverbanks to restore degraded land. Additionally, the initiative aims to improve the livelihoods of communities within the catchment area.

Mr. Zalot Kipura, the field coordinator of the Natural Resources Defense Initiative, emphasized that while the farmers had witnessed improvements in their yields due to better agronomic training, the lack of electricity had posed a significant challenge. This lack of electricity resulted in high transportation costs incurred to transport their coffee to processing centers in Kasese town.

Mr. Richard Bomera, the chairperson of Bulembia local council three, expressed his belief that the provision of generators would prevent farmers from being exploited by buyers who offer low prices for unprocessed coffee. With the ability to process their coffee on-site, farmers can now have more control over the value of their produce. Mr. Bomera…

Mr. Pauline Bwambale, the representative of Kilembe Sub County local council, expressed hope that the presence of a functioning coffee processing unit would attract more farmers to cultivate the cash crop. The low prices offered for unprocessed coffee had previously discouraged many potential growers. Mr. Pauline stated…

Members of coffee farmer cooperatives, such as Chachimwa Anatabhuwa from the Kathoma cooperative in Mbuga Sub County, welcomed the generators as a relief from the high expenses associated with transporting their crops to Kasese town for processing. However, they highlighted the urgent need for improved road infrastructure to facilitate easier connectivity between buyers and sellers.