Owori standing with Ojok (right) and Lakony a boda-boda rider in a coffee plantation in Nwoya district. Photos by Arnest Tumwesige
By Arnest Tumwesige
Nwoya: As the Ugandan government ramps up efforts to promote coffee planting in Northern Uganda, Alfred Ojok’s transformative approach is redefining what coffee can achieve in the region.
His journey in coffee farming began in 2014 after completing A-level. Having worked as a casual laborer in one of the forest reserves located in Unyama sub-county Gulu district while living in an internally displaced people’s camp, he acquired knowledge on how to plant pines.
Using the knowledge, he decided to start a seven acre pine garden in Amola village, Lalar parish, Paminiyai sub-county in Nwoya district.
Impressed with their growth, a local resident contracted him at 900,000 shillings for similar work.
Ojok reinvested this money in coffee seedlings, initially planting one acre. Subsequently in 2016 Uganda Coffee Development Authority linked him to Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) and provided 1800 seedlings for four acres.
Now the 31 year old has steadily expanded his coffee acreage since then with additional capacity to raise own seedlings that he also sells to other farmers.
Today, he has 25 acres under coffee, with 13 acres ready for harvest next year (2025). With plans to scale up to 60 acres, Ojok has also intercropped his coffee with bananas, earning him approximately UGX 100 million annually.
Inspiring a Community
Ojok’s success has motivated over 100 youth in Nwoya to explore coffee farming. Through his Hastings Coffee Center registered by Uganda Registration Services Bureau, he has influenced his colleagues to start Lalar Coffee and Poultry Cooperative Society Limited.
The Cooperative with 40 members is already recruiting other groups with so far 10 joining to champion coffee growing in Northern Uganda.
Additionally, Ojok and nine other volunteer trainers share agronomic knowledge, guiding farmers in best coffee-growing practices.
Ojok’s vision is clear: “Let us turn our home into a coffee village and leave a legacy of poverty eradication.”
Locals Enthusiastic for Ojok’s Impact
Ojok is also offering practical support to other coffee farmers. “I am providing 20,000 banana suckers this year to coffee farmers to help them achieve what I have,” he noted.
Cosmas Okech, one of Ojok’s trainees, remarked that the inspiration from Ojok’s family is felt across the village, with many replicating his methods.
For others, like John Lakony, Ojok’s influence was transformative. After leaving school, Lakony joined Ojok in farming as a means to fight poverty.
Starting with two acres in 2016, he has since expanded to five acres and now owns a motorcycle for boda-boda work, along with a four-bedroom house nearing completion.
Mariam Katusiime, 38, has also found success in coffee farming. Since starting her five-acre coffee farm, she’s been able to build a self-contained home. “It’s incredible to be a woman with five acres of coffee and a permanent home,” she said.
The Economic Outlook for Uganda’s Coffee
According to Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) In 2023/24, coffee exports were 6.13 million bags valued at US$ 1.144 Billion in 2023/24.
This was an increase of 6.33% in volume and 35.29% in value compared to the 2022/23 financial year when exports were 5.8 million bags valued at US$846 million.
Due to effective regulation by UCDA, coffee quality has greatly improved and this has resulted in high prices. Currently, farmers are earning the highest prices in 30 years. In FY2023/24, UCDA generated revenue of shs82.2bn and Uganda Coffee is in high demand in global coffee markets for its quality.
Challenges and Opportunities
As interest in coffee farming grows, access to seedlings remains a challenge. Farmers urge the government to establish community nursery beds in each parish and invest in value addition to increase their earnings.
Samuel Wokorach Opio, an extension service provider attached to Alero and Paminiyai Sub Counties, cited the need for quality seedlings and the impact of erratic rainfall on newly planted crops.
Although the Uganda Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfer (UgIFT) project offers small-scale irrigation systems, the co-funding required remains unaffordable for many farmers.
The project which offers small scale irrigation system requires that farmers contribute 25% and 75% for solar powered and generator powered irrigation systems respectively.
Transforming Northern Uganda’s Coffee Landscape
It’s been scientifically proven that coffee thrives in Northern Uganda, and Sylvia Owori the Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) Coordinator believes the region is ready to rewrite its agricultural narrative. “It’s time to tell our own story, not the one imposed by colonialists,” she stated during a visit to Ojok’s farm.
However, Owori discouraged the idea of providing free seedlings, which she believes fosters dependency. Instead, she advocates for accessible credit schemes, where farmers repay after harvesting.
Since 2013, OWC has supplied over 40 million seedlings to Northern Uganda, but the impact has been limited as many went unplanted or unmanaged.
Owori highlighted the Roco-Paco campaign, initiated by Chief Justice Alphonse Owiny Dollo and Ambassador Dr. Olara Otunu, to restore hard work and moral integrity in the Acholi region following two decades of conflict.
The campaign encourages communities to chase poverty without harming the environment, advising farmers to maintain tree cover for coffee shade instead of clearing them.
