Bishop Kugonza champions coffee growing as diocese receives 30,000 seedlings
“We shall form a cooperative to lobby for markets for the coffee and also gain bargaining power so that our farmers can fully benefit from coffee growing,” he said.
Masindi: The Bishop of Masindi-Kitara Diocese, Rt. Rev. Joshua Kugonza, has challenged Christians across the diocese to embrace coffee growing as a means of improving household incomes.
Bishop Kugonza made the remarks on Tuesday while receiving 30,000 coffee seedlings donated by Hongera Saana Uganda during a function held at the diocesan headquarters in Masindi.
The bishop revealed that during his consecration, he pledged to champion coffee growing and later launched a diocesan initiative dubbed “Behind Every Kitchen, There Is Coffee,” which is currently being implemented across the diocese.
According to the bishop, the project is intended to support smallholder farmers who may not have sufficient land to engage in large-scale sugarcane cultivation.
He commended Hongera Saana Uganda for the donation and urged members of the public to collect the seedlings, emphasizing that they are being distributed free of charge.
Bishop Kugonza also called upon development partners and other stakeholders to support the initiative through similar contributions, noting that many farmers across the diocese are still in need of coffee seedlings.
“We shall form a cooperative to lobby for markets for the coffee and also gain bargaining power so that our farmers can fully benefit from coffee growing,” he said.
Speaking at the event, Abdullah Sserunkuma, the Bunyoro Kingdom County Chief for Masindi Municipality applauded Hongera Saana Uganda for the donation, noting that the kingdom continues to encourage its subjects to embrace wealth creation programmes aimed at improving livelihoods.
“We always encourage kingdom subjects to embrace government programmes aimed at improving their livelihoods. We therefore appreciate this organization for distributing coffee seedlings to our people,” he said.
While handing over the seedlings, Damalie Nachuha, the Albertine North Regional Police Commander praised Hongera Saana Uganda for supporting community development through agriculture and urged beneficiaries to properly plant and manage the seedlings to improve household incomes.
Nachuha also warned individuals involved in coffee theft, saying police had deployed adequate manpower to combat the vice and ensure suspects are arrested and prosecuted.
“We appeal to community members to report suspected coffee thieves because we have enough manpower, including police officers and canine units, to help crack down on coffee theft,” she said.
Meanwhile, Gilbert Kiirya, the coordinator of Hongera Saana Uganda in Masindi District said the organization is implementing government programmes aimed at promoting peace and stability through community development initiatives.
He revealed that the organization has so far distributed 390,000 coffee seedlings across the Bunyoro sub-region through organized community groups.
“We are donating these coffee seedlings through organized groups, and so far we have distributed 390,000 seedlings across the Bunyoro sub-region as part of efforts to promote peace, stability, and community development,” Kiirya said.
The donation is expected to boost coffee production in the region and support ongoing efforts to improve household incomes and reduce poverty among farming communities in Bunyoro.
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