For the first time in many years, coffee prices are quite high and very motivating. The harvesting season for the crop is just about to start, and it is expected to be a very challenging period for the farmers.
Harvested coffee cherries are almost as good as cash. Currently, the prices are good, around Shs11,000 per kilogramme of FAQ (KASE), which makes protecting the crop from thieves likely to be a big challenge.
During the night when the farmers are sleeping in their houses, thieves often sneak into their gardens and steal the crop. Coffee theft also occurs in the drying yard when members of the homestead are away, perhaps attending a burial or a church service. In many cases, members of the household also steal coffee and sell it secretly.
Right now, some people, pressed by financial difficulties, are already engaging in bad practices such as harvesting unripe coffee cherries, drying them in hidden places, and selling them to unsuspecting traders. This practice compromises the quality of coffee and reduces the farmers’ income since unripe coffee cherries don’t weigh much, affecting the price per kilogramme.
Joseph Nkandu, executive director of National Union of Coffee Agri-businesses and Farm Enterprises (NUCAFE), condemns these practices and emphasizes the importance of maintaining quality.
Nkandu, also a commercial coffee farmer, mobilizes farmers in Bunjakko, Mpigi District, to be vigilant during the harvest season. Measures include holding meetings with local council security committees, monitoring each other to prevent harvesting unripe coffee, and ensuring proper drying surfaces.
Some farmers are tempted to harvest both red and green coffee cherries at once due to fear of theft. However, experts advise against this, stressing the importance of picking only red cherries for quality.
Farmers must exercise extra caution during this harvest period, strictly monitoring laborers and ensuring secure transportation and storage of the coffee.
Storage is crucial. Farmers are advised to keep coffee in strongly secured stores to minimize burglary. Some farms even employ armed guards to patrol day and night.
Shaffic Ssenyimba of Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) warns about the looming threat of coffee theft despite the excitement about high prices. He recommends proactive measures such as erecting sturdy fences, hiring guards, and installing motion-sensor lights and alarms.
To minimize exploitation by middlemen, Ssenyimba suggests farmers familiarize themselves with market prices, join cooperatives for better negotiation power, and insist on written contracts.
UCDA is also sensitizing coffee farmers and traders about the National Coffee Act to ensure proper adherence to the law, with sensitization efforts spanning several districts.
