The key points are temporarily unavailable. You can still read the full Story below.
Main Points
Alhaji Faruk Kirunda, the Special Presidential Assistant for Press and Mobilisation and Deputy Press Secretary to the President, has advocated for increased investment in coffee and cocoa value addition and agro-tourism to drive economic growth in the Busoga region. The call was made during the inaugural Busoga Coffee and Cocoa Tourism Festival, held at the Jinja Showgrounds on Friday, September 18, 2026.
Represented by Jimmy Nambiro, a Private Secretary at State House, Kirunda emphasized that coffee and cocoa should be treated as comprehensive value chains rather than simple agricultural commodities. He noted that economic opportunities exist across production, processing, packaging, branding, and export stages. He urged stakeholders to improve farm-level productivity and quality to ensure local enterprises capture a larger share of the value generated from these products.
The three-day festival, themed “Brewing Prosperity, Cultivating Heritage: Advancing Coffee & Cocoa Value Chains for Youth Employment and Economic Transformation in Busoga,” aims to connect farmers, investors, and government agencies. Kirunda highlighted that the development of these sectors could provide significant employment for young people and increase the economic participation of women.
Regarding agro-tourism, Kirunda suggested that integrating Busoga’s agricultural and cultural assets could create new income streams for local communities. He encouraged the development of farms into tourism destinations where visitors can engage with production processes and local culture.
During the event, Major Emma Kutesa of State House encouraged the youth of Busoga to utilize idle family land for high-value crops like coffee and cocoa, rather than migrating to urban areas. He advocated for a shift away from small-scale sugarcane farming, suggesting that the four-acre model promoted by President Yoweri Museveni offers a more effective path to poverty reduction.
Resty Mbwali, head of the Women’s Environmental Forum Uganda and the festival organizer, noted that the event seeks to help the region diversify its economy. She stated that while Busoga was historically a wealthy sub-region, it currently faces significant poverty challenges that could be addressed through commercial agriculture and tourism.
Article source: www.watchdoguganda.com | Image credit: www.watchdoguganda.com
