By Jacob Okwii, Communications Officer – Mt. Elgon Project

The Mt. Elgon Project is strengthening coffee production and improving farmers’ livelihoods by equipping farmer groups with coffee pulping machines and other essential post-harvest tools. Through its partners Sebei Elgon Cooperative Union (SECU), Kala Mugosi Women Empowerment Ltd (KMWE), and Bushika Integrated Area Cooperative Enterprise Ltd (BIACE) the project has supported more than 11 farmer groups with pulping machines, digital weighing scales and complementary equipment to improve coffee handling and processing.

The intervention combines access to modern equipment with practical support to help farmers improve coffee quality, reduce post-harvest losses and enhance their competitiveness in the coffee market.

Farmer Groups Benefit from Partner Support

Under the initiative, five farmer groups supported by SECU in Kapchorwa and Bukwo received pulping machines and other equipment. These are Katongo, Kapchesiy, Chema and Korkor Growers Cooperative Societies in Kapchorwa District, and Mosop Multipurpose Society in Bukwo District.

KMWE supported Dooba Farmers Group in Nabiwutulu, Bulambuli District; Masaba Farmers Group in Sironko District; and Bisigwa Hadisa and Nabude Gift, also in Sironko District. In addition to pulping machines and digital weighing scales, the groups received tarpaulins, fermentation buckets, basins, coffee trays and floating dishes to support coffee processing and post-harvest handling.

BIACE supported three farmer groups in Bududa District: Bumati Growers Cooperative Society, Namakuto/Bunabutiti Growers Cooperative Society, and Bukari/Shienga Growers Cooperative Society. Their equipment packages included coffee pulping machines, digital weighing scales and fermentation drums.

Expanding Access to Coffee Processing Equipment

The equipment is expected to benefit substantial numbers of farmers. At Katongo Growers Cooperative Society, the machine is expected to serve 1,650 farmers, while Chema Growers Cooperative Society anticipates benefits for 663 farmers. At Bumati Growers Cooperative Society, 103 members, including 16 women, are expected to benefit from the intervention.

These investments are intended to improve farmers’ access to appropriate coffee-processing technology, strengthen collective action and create opportunities for better-quality coffee and improved returns.

Promoting Communal Access and Shared Ownership

A key principle underpinning the intervention is communal access to the pulping machines. Instead of requiring every farmer to purchase individual equipment, farmers can deliver their harvested coffee cherries to designated collection points and use group-owned machines for pulping at a modest fee.

This shared-ownership model makes modern processing equipment more accessible, particularly to smallholder farmers who may not have the financial capacity to purchase their own machines or meet the costs associated with manual processing.

By investing in farmer groups and promoting collective access to equipment, the Mt. Elgon Project is supporting more efficient coffee processing, stronger farmer organisations and sustainable livelihoods across the region.

The Mt. Elgon Project is supported by Global Environment Facility through UN Environment Programme.