President Yoweri Museveni has passionately called upon coffee farmers to integrate value‑addition strategies into the production process to create much needed jobs and revenue for the country.
“I want to call upon the coffee farmers to support the NRM’s efforts to stop the export of raw materials. This will enhance our industrialization agenda and create the much-needed jobs and incomes,” he said.
President Museveni made the remarks through the Vice President Maj. (Rtd) Jessica Alupo during the launch of the National Coffee Farmers Empowerment Programme in Rukiga District on 01 March 2026.
The programme is spear‑headed by CoffPass Growers Uganda Limited and State House Local Content Unit, headed by Hajjat Aminah Mukalazi. It focuses on mobilising and supporting coffee farmers to access quality seedlings and adopt improved agronomic practices.
The President said producers must continue to add value to our coffee, cotton and minerals to create jobs and incomes for our people and revenues for government to carry our mega infrastructure projects.
He explained that the NRM government has continued to prioritize the coffee sector because of its significant contribution to economic growth, foreign exchange earnings and the livelihoods of millions of households involved in the coffee value chain.
Interventions to boost coffee production include scaling up distribution of quality seedlings and inputs through Operation Wealth Creation, strengthening farmer training, extension services and sensitisation, and enhancing monitoring and supervision to ensure proper implementation.
As a result, Museveni said, coffee production now stands at 8.4 million bags.
He noted that Uganda has previously fetched less value by exporting raw coffee to Europe and the USA. “The cleverer countries, which produce little or no coffee at all, were the ones processing our coffee and reaping a lot of profits from it,” Museveni said.
Through enhanced value addition, better market access and policies that prioritize farmers’ welfare, government is committed to ensuring Uganda’s coffee fetches the value it deserves globally.
He assured the country that the NRM has laid the foundation for Uganda’s economic take‑off: a broad natural resource base, a healthy and educated labour force from mass immunization and free education policies, favourable investment climate with good roads and electricity, and access to the 46 million‑person internal market, the 500 million East African market and Africa’s 1.4 billion consumers.
In her remarks, Hajjat Mukalazi called upon the people of Kigezi to embrace coffee growing and value addition, saying producers would then secure a fair share of the global market.
