The article, which was developed after a media briefing addressed by Dr. Emmanuel Iyamulemye, the managing director of Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) and Hon. Vincent Ssempijja, the minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries on 29 September 2020, misconstrued statements Dr. Iyamulemye made.
While addressing the media, Dr. Iyamulemye mentioned that coffee consumption in Uganda remains low at only 6% (Coffee Consumption Survey 2018) partly due to the misconceptions and myths people have towards coffee as a beverage. UCDA has undertaken several initiatives to increase local consumption over the years.
Seven years ago, UCDA invited Dr. David Nini, a medical professional and researcher from Israel to share the findings of a study he conducted on the health benefits of coffee consumption with medical personnel in Uganda.
UCDA disseminated these findings at different fora over the years and used the same findings to develop information to share with stakeholders.
Government does not intend to, nor does it need to, hire expatriates to teach Ugandans how to drink coffee. However, UCDA remains committed to boosting domestic coffee consumption. This is important for three reasons. Firstly, locally processed and consumed coffee is not subject to the volatility of the global markets.
Secondly, people appreciate a commodity they handle better when they enjoy the ultimate product. And thirdly, local consumption triggers a secondary and tertiary processing industry that creates employment, and keeps a larger share of the value of coffee in the country.
We call on all readers to enjoy a cup of Uganda coffee every day.
Please reach us through [email protected] For Your Opinions, a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish
