An Infographic Chart Detailing Coffee Demand in Acholi Sub region. Illustration by Arnest Tumwesige
By Arnest Tumwesige
Gulu: Over the years, the Ugandan government has distributed more than 3.1 million coffee seedlings to the Acholi sub-region, targeting the establishment of 6,918 acres of plantations. However, the survival rate of these seedlings remained minimal.
Currently, only 193 farmers in the region have managed to establish coffee on about 500 acres, mostly in Nwoya District. The low success rate has been attributed to the lack of thorough studies assessing the region’s potential for coffee cultivation. As a result, the initial implementation was largely experimental.
Additionally, many individual farmers lacked the necessary knowledge to manage coffee gardens from the planting stage to crop care compounded by poor seasonal timing.
“I received 150 coffee seedlings in 2024 under the defunct National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), but when I took them home, I left them under a tree for two weeks before planting. Some withered during that time,” said Suzan Lakot, a resident of Unyama Sub-county in Gulu District.
“I later dug shallow holes, and because the season was off, only 20 seedlings survived, mostly under tree shade.”
Lakot’s experience reflects a common trend that Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) aims to reverse as coffee begins to gain traction in the region.
A New Approach Emerges
OWC, an arm of government created in July 2013, is mandated to facilitate socio-economic transformation by turning subsistence farmers into commercial ones to eradicate poverty.
As coffee is increasingly seen as “green gold” for improving household incomes, OWC is now focused on correcting earlier missteps to ensure sustainable gains.
This shift is evident in the mass awareness campaigns launched in September 2024, spearheaded by Chief Justice Alphonse Owiny Dollo and Ambassador Dr. Olara Otunnu, co-chairs of the Roco Paco Movement.
Their mobilization has sparked unprecedented demand for coffee seedlings rising to 20 million surpassing the planned 12 million.
“We had allocated UGX 5.5 billion to procure seedlings for Northern Uganda based on the initial target,” said Sylvia Owori, Director of Operations at OWC.
To boost production, the government is prioritizing clonal coffee varieties, which are more resilient and high-yielding, with a target of producing 20 million bags by 2030.
According to OWC’s latest 2025 coffee export data, Uganda earned USD 1.6 million from 3,600 hectares of coffee. That same volume could be grown in the Acholi sub-region alone, potentially earning between USD 1.6-2 million within three years.
Beyond production, there are efforts to support value addition, enabling farmers to process coffee locally for higher market returns in 2027 and 2028.
Combating Climate Challenges with Better Varieties
The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) under the defunct Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) and National Coffee Research Institute (NaCORI), have been promoting clonal Robusta varieties tailored to Uganda’s conditions.
“Clonal Robusta is resistant to coffee wilt disease, high-yielding, and well-adapted to Northern Uganda’s climate,” said Janny Winnifred Oyella, Regional Agricultural Officer at MAAIF in Gulu.
The government’s switch from elite Robusta to clonal varieties aligns with its goal to export 20 million bags of coffee by 2030. As of January 2025, Europe remains Uganda’s top coffee importer, taking in 64%, followed by Asia (14%), Africa (13%), North America (4%), and Australia (0%).
Oyella added that earlier setbacks were also due to negative attitudes toward coffee farming, but persistence is now paying off. Initially, government support focused on smallholder farmers with about half an acre each. Recently, however, more commercial farmers are emerging.
While 90% of earlier adopters planted elite varieties, the government is now licensing nursery operators to ensure only the recommended clonal varieties are distributed.
In 2021–2023, demand for coffee seedlings stood at 23 million in greater north, with the mid-north region (Acholi and Lango) accounting for 10 million. By 2023–2024, demand from the mid-north rose to 15 million.
“We started giving out clonal coffee seedlings in 2021, especially to commercial farmers who could manage irrigation,” said Oyella.
Ojok the Coffee king of Nwoya
Alfred Ojok’s journey into coffee farming started 2014 after completing Advanced level school. The 32 year old, resident of Amola village, Lalar parish, Paminiyai sub-county in Nwoya district started farming with a capital of UGX 900,000.
Ojok initially planting one acre. Subsequently in 2016 Uganda Coffee Development Authority linked him to 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 this 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.
Improving Water Access for Farmers
To support irrigation and mitigate drought effects, OWC, in partnership with the Ministry of Water and Environment, is developing a master plan to map water sources for sustainable coffee farming in the north.
Brenda Akao, Regional Public Relations Officer for Ministry of Water and Environment, said under this coffee initiative, Water for Production project is working to use some of their existing small scale irrigation systems, establish new systems and improve water sources to support production.
Specifically, the support will target selected nursery seedling operators, model farmers and later on other interested coffee farmers in mid-north.
“This is going to contribute to the government effort to increase water for agricultural production, enhance food security and farmers’ incomes in Uganda” Akao noted.
Bridging the Extension Services Gap
In March, Emmanuel Muhoozi, Principal Agricultural Extension Coordinator at MAAIF, noted a significant gap in agricultural extension services, with only a fraction of the required 7,000 service providers in place.
This shortage, due to wage bill constraints, has contributed to low productivity, despite national guidelines recommending a 1:500 extension-to-farmer ratio.
To address this, OWC and MAAIF have trained 400 trainers of trainers in the Acholi sub-region. The trainees will help farmers understand the right steps in planting coffee right from garden preparation to harvesting stage.
“This is a new approach. Previously, seedlings were sent before any training. That’s what failed us,” said Patrick Komakech of Patiiko Sub-county in Gulu.
Cooperatives Drive Collaboration and Standards
Margret Aber, a former employee of Ugacof (a leading coffee processor/exporter), is one of 50 members that have formed the Acholi Coffee Growers Cooperative Society. With 25 years’ experience in coffee quality and laboratory section, she aims to help members meet international standards.
A resident of Laminato Parish in Koch-Goma Sub-county, Nwoya District, Aber started coffee farming in 2022, but lost her gardens to wildfires. Undeterred, she plans to replant two acres this season and expand to five acres in the coming years.
The cooperative, which has received temporary registration from the Ministry of Trade, now seeks to recruit more members and encourage share purchases to secure full registration.
George Kidega, Gulu City Commercial Officer, encouraged locals to embrace timely planting, noting that with the right guidance, coffee farming can thrive.
Kidega however cautioned the farmers against opening huge farms which they may not manage but rather adopt a slow approach to gain experience.
Uganda on a steady coffee growth path
According to Uganda’s Coffee profile by the defunct UCDA which is now under MAAIF, Global coffee production has seen a consistent growth in excess of 2% since the 1960s. Unfortunately, the consistent global growth has not been duplicated in the African region, where at a continental level production has been declining steadily at a rate averaging 2%, leading to Africa’s loss of global market share to close to 19% today.
Globally, in terms of regional exports, the highest growth was in Asia, where exports tripled in the last 20 years. “On the African continent, Uganda has experienced growth in the coffee industry, making it the largest exporter of coffee by volumes. Uganda is also the leading producer of Robusta and second largest producer of Arabica coffee, after Ethiopia, in Africa” the profile reads.
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