Ministry to focus on coffee’s value chain

COFFEE Minister William Bando says agricultural produce is not only an economic asset but also a cultural heritage that binds communities and sustains livelihoods.
“It is a symbol of resilience, innovation, and the people’s spirit,” he said. Bando plans to establish a database for each district and province, strengthen value chains, promote sustainability and foster innovation.
“We need reliable information and data to know what to do and where to start,” he said.
“We will ask all districts to submit data on coffee blocks and plantations, wet and dry factories and processors and exporters.
“We want to know the hectares covered by coffee, business ownership, and if not operating, why.”
Bando said the ministry would set up an office or directorate of coffee based in Eastern Highlands.
“We will also enhance the entire coffee value chain, from farm to cup by investing in infrastructure, technology, and capacity-building initiatives that improve productivity, quality, and market access for coffee growers and support manufacturing of all coffee products,” he said.
“Central to our success will be the active engagement and participation of all stakeholders, including farmers, cooperatives, industry associations, government agencies, and development partners.
“We will strive to create an enabling environment that encourages collaboration, dialogue, and partnership to drive change and shared prosperity in the coffee sector.”
There is also a plan for an annual coffee festival which foreign investors will be invited to attend.
He said the Government had allocated K300 million for small buiness and agriculture loans, K50 million for the farmers price support scheme, K30 million for the coffee ministry.