By Andrew Munialo.
Pix: MAAIF
The Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries has handed over value addition equipment to coffee farmers from different parts of the country. The machines include 12 coffee hulling machines, 94 pulpers with green cherry separators, 15 Wet mills, which are a bigger version of pulpers among others.
While handing over the machinery a the Agricultural Engineering and Appropriate Technology Research Centre (AEATREC) a specialized institute in agriculture technologies under the National Agriculture Research Organization (NARO) in Kawanda on Friday, the Minister of State for Agriculture Desire Muhooza appealed to farmers to share the equipment with communities around them to jointly improve the quality of coffee.
Muhoza said the machines will promote value addition, hence limiting the export of unprocessed coffee,which limits the country’s earnings as well as the farmers.
‘The distribution of this modern coffee processing equipment is a deliberate intervention by the government to strengthen and empower coffee farmers, to improve the value and quality of coffee,” Muhoza said.
During the event Dr Gerald Kyalo, Commissioner Coffee Department in the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries explained that the initiative is in line with the government’s commitment to promoting agro-industrialization through value addition.
He explained that the hullers can process 1.5 metric tons per hour. The Wet mills can process 1000 kgs per hour and smaller pulpers can process 600 kg per hour.
He appealed to beneficiaries to use the equipment with the communities around them.
Beneficiary farmers came from Ankole subreginon, Busoga, Elgon Northern (Zombo district) among others.
