East African Business Week

KAMPALA, UGANDA--Negotiations to have a joint venture with international players in the coffee market are ongoing to add value to Uganda's coffee, Fred Jachan Omach, State Minister for finance planning and economic development said.
The State Minister was speaking to East African Business Week mid last week saying that Uganda's coffee can earn lots of revenue to the nation if value addition is not neglected.
He was also referring to the recent visit he had in Vienna, Austria where different key players in the international coffee market gathered and discovered that Uganda's coffee was among the best coffee in the whole world.
"You can't imagine that I found out that our Arabica coffee was used for branding the country and indeed back home we have zealous farmers with potential to keep our coffee doing well on international market," Omach said.
Reports have indicated that total exports are projected to be 3 Million - 60 kg bags, valued at US$ 288Million translating into an increase of 8.8% and 8% in terms of volume and value respectively.
This has been lauded by David Barry the president of Uganda Coffee Traders Federation in his statement posted on the federation official website.
According to Barry, the coffee sub sector is projected to perform relatively better during this coffee year 2010/11.
Barry observes much significant improvements in Ugandan coffee industry noting that washed Arabica coffee values have more or less doubled in the last coffee year  with quality generally seen significant improvements.
Some of the washed Arabica coffee produced was of excellent quality and gaining better acceptance rates globally, and therefore achieved much better prices on the world market. There was significant growth in the local roasting industry and the variety of processed repackaged coffee on sale in the shops of Kampala also regional and even international markets is evidence to this rapidly growing segment.
"Things were in good shape. We see investment in the industry at all levels. We have new entrants, new factories and washing stations being built and many other positive factors. Ugandan companies exhibit large degree of professionalism, innovation and decent management" the statement reads in parts.
Despite projected performance, the coffee industry still faces challenges including insufficient funding for coffee research, low use and limited access to agricultural inputs by smallholder coffee farmers, inefficient extension services, and  incidence of Coffee Wilt Disease (CWD) in Robusta coffee.