Uganda has embarked on a vigorous coffee replanting programme to cash in on rising world prices.
“Coffee prices on the world market recently hit an eight-year high at $1.65 per kilogramme; this movement is expected to be sustained,” Fred Luzinda Mukasa, acting managing director of the state-run Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), told The EastAfrican.
“UCDA in conjunction with the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries has drawn up an eight-year coffee production plan (2007-2015) designed to increase production from the current four million to five million bags of 60 kilogrammes each,” the official said.
Mr Mukasa, who is also the UCDA Board Secretary, said the new coffee replanting programme will cost about Ush2 billion ($1.2 million) per year. “We have committed about Ush1 billion ($541,000) to this programme and we are lobbying the government to provide the remaining money,” he said.
Read More: All Africa
Posted by beanybabe at 12:43 AM PST
