Ugandan Coffee Farmers Panic As Drought Leads To Mounting Losses – CoffeeTalk

The Masaka sub-region has experienced a severe drought period in the past two months, causing fear and panic among coffee farmers and traders. The high prices of Robusta coffee, which are now worth Shs16,000 per kilogramme, have attracted increased interest in the crop. However, the drought has led to massive economic losses for thousands of farmers in the districts of Lwengo, Rakai, Kyotera, Lyantonde, Kalungu, Masaka, Kalangala, and Bukomansimbi.

The drought has caused physiological issues such as flower abortion and premature ripening, as well as increased pest attacks like coffee twig borer and Robusta coffee diseases like coffee leaf rust. Experts in the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries believe that climate change is responsible for the ongoing warming of the earth due to greenhouse gas emissions. The country is also set to face extreme weather conditions, such as erratic rainfall patterns, floods, and hailstorms, which have their own negative impact on the production of the coffee crop.

High temperatures, heavy rain, hail, and strong winds damage coffee trees, cause fruit fall, mold growth, soil erosion, and landslides. Prolonged rain leads to delayed flowering, delayed ripening of coffee, and favors the development of fungal diseases. The prolonged dry period has posed a challenge to all coffee stakeholders, leading to problematic harvests. Many farmers will end up with low density, small-sized, prematurely ripened coffee fruits, which may be purchased by fraudulent traders, compromising the overall quality of the country’s crop on the international market.

To address these issues, Shaffic Ssenyimba, Agricultural Engineer in charge of Coffee Technical Activities in Greater Masaka under MAAIF, organized a meeting of all coffee stakeholders in the region on March 6, 2025, to discuss ways to address coffee quality improvement strategies ahead of the main harvest season expected to begin next month.

Mr. Musisi Ssebatta, a leading coffee nursery operator in the region, stressed the importance of planting the right seedlings for good quality coffee production. He advised new farmers to start with small areas and use affordable seedlings instead of rushing to plant wide areas and planting cheap, poor-quality seedlings.

Senior Agricultural Officer Robert Ssentamu warned farmers to always have their soil tested before applying fertilizers, as soil nutrition requirements may vary in different areas. He also emphasized the importance of good seed selection and agronomic practices, such as digging trenches across the farm to trap rainwater run-off on steep slopes.

Shaffic Ssenyimba warned farmers to stop drying coffee on the bare ground, as it introduces strange smells and foreign objects, and to obtain solar dryers to achieve at least 14 percent moisture content. He also urged owners of coffee hulling machines to face strict supervision to avoid buying poorly dried coffee.

Mr. Denis Mukasa of the Masaka Branch Centenary Bank encouraged coffee traders and farmers to pay customers through the bank and open bank accounts to deposit dues. He also revealed that there is money in Centenary Bank to lend out to farmers intending to install irrigation systems on their farms.

Climate change effects are not about to end, and all coffee farmers must consider preserving water sources like swamps and mining underground water for successful growing of coffee in dry conditions. The quality of coffee is judged by the size, color, and smell of the beans, which cannot be achieved without feeding the coffee trees well.

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