Uganda’s Coffee Faces Repackaging Crisis
Despite Uganda’s coffee export growth on the global market, First Deputy Premier and Minister for East African Community Affairs Rebecca Kadaga has highlighted ongoing issues with the adulteration and repackaging of Ugandan coffee by other countries. Kadaga spoke about the need for stakeholders to address this problem to protect Uganda’s coffee industry.
Kadaga’s remarks came during the closing ceremony of the 30th National Agricultural Show at the Source of the Nile in Jinja City on August 4, 2024. She expressed concerns about the common practice of adulterating Ugandan coffee abroad and then rebranding it under different labels. Although she did not name specific countries involved, Kadaga emphasized the importance of developing strategies to ensure Ugandan coffee maintains its identity and quality in the market.
The National Agricultural Show, organized by the Uganda National Farmers Federation (UNFFE), showcased innovations in agro-industrialisation over its ten-day run. Kadaga acknowledged the show’s role in promoting agricultural advancements but stressed the need for a more focused approach to counteract the adulteration issue.
Doreen Rose Rweihangwe, Director of Quality and Regulatory Services at the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), attributed the challenge to insufficient value addition within Uganda’s coffee sector. According to Rweihangwe, many farmers sell their coffee without processing it further. This lack of value addition allows other players to blend Ugandan coffee with other products, then rebrand it as their own.
Rweihangwe suggested that farmers should roast, blend, and add value to their coffee to prevent it from being exploited by others. She noted that if Ugandan coffee is sold in its plain form, it is vulnerable to such practices, leading to the mislabeling of the product as originating from countries like Vietnam.
Patrick Nabongo, Chairperson of the Busoga Coffee Farmers, Buyers, and Processors Cooperative, highlighted past incidents of smuggling and misuse of Ugandan coffee. He reported that coffee was being smuggled to South Sudan from Arua bus park, but UCDA intervened to address the issue. Nabongo also mentioned that Kenyan buyers used to purchase unripe Ugandan coffee under false pretenses. He called on the government and UCDA to address Kadaga’s concerns to better protect Uganda’s coffee industry.
Rweihangwe also emphasized the government’s role in supporting farmers with the necessary machinery to enhance value addition and increase profits from coffee exports. She commended UCDA for its efforts in promoting Ugandan coffee both locally and internationally.
In the fiscal year 2023/2024, Uganda earned $1.14 billion from coffee exports, a significant increase from $846 million the previous year. Kadaga urged UCDA to expand its presence globally to further boost the recognition of Ugandan coffee.
At the end of the show, awards were presented to outstanding exhibitors. The Uganda Prisons Service was recognized as the overall best exhibitor, while NARO was honored for its research contributions, and UCDA received the award for the best government entity.
