Coffee farmers in Kapchorwa District are raising concern over increasing theft of coffee from their gardens as the harvesting season gets underway, warning that the practice could undermine household incomes and future coffee production.
The thefts have become particularly rampant in the lower coffee-growing belts of the district, with farmers in Amukol, Kaserem and Kabeywa sub-counties among those affected.
Farmers say thieves are not only picking mature coffee cherries but, in some cases, cutting down entire coffee trees and carrying them away before removing the cherries from the plants.
Bless Yona, a coffee farmer from Kaserem Village in Kaserem Sub-county, says thieves have harvested more than half of his mature coffee in just two days.
Yona says he recently inspected his garden and found everything intact, only to return later and discover that thieves had picked a significant portion of the ready coffee.
“It is very disturbing to see something you have struggled to maintain and someone comes and harvests it,” the distressed Yona said. “You invest your time and money in the garden, only for somebody to come and take away the fruits of your work.”
Similar complaints have been reported in Amukol Sub-county, where farmers say coffee theft has taken a more damaging turn. Abdul Mumin, a coffee farmer in Amukol, says thieves have resorted to cutting entire coffee plants and taking them away to peel the coffee cherries at their convenience.
He says the practice is more destructive because farmers lose not only the current harvest but also the coffee trees that would have produced for many seasons.
“Picking coffee directly is better, but cutting the entire plant is terrible. Farmers are losing their coffee farming directly to hooligans,” Mustafa said.
Mumin has appealed to local authorities and security agencies to increase vigilance and take action against people involved in the theft.
Patrick Makweta, a farmer from Kabaywa Parish in Kabeywa Sub-county, says the manner in which thieves harvest coffee could also affect future yields as they damage the plants in the process.”It’s really so hurting, they harvest berries indiscriminately, the mature and those that are not yet ready,” he said. Coffee is a leading cash crops grown in the Elgon region, a key source of income for thousands of households in the area.
Farmers depend on coffee proceeds to meet household needs, including paying school fees, buying food, accessing healthcare and investing in other agricultural activities. The theft comes at a time when farmers are expecting to earn income from months or years of tending their coffee plantations.
Local leaders have consequently called for increased community surveillance to protect the crop from theft. Stephen Malinga, the LC3 Chairperson of Amukol Sub-county, says village leaders should strengthen security at the grassroots and work as a team to identify and apprehend coffee thieves.
Malinga says coffee remains one of the major sources of income for households in the area and unchecked theft could create an economic crisis among farmers.
“Coffee is the only source of income for many of our farmers. If it is not protected, it will cause an economic crisis because farmers depend on it to take their children to school and sustain their families,” Malinga said.
He warned people involved in the theft to stop it and engage in productive activities.
“Instead of using that energy to steal, why not use it for productive work which is positive and healthy?” Malinga asked.
Malinga also urged farmers to regularly inspect their coffee gardens, particularly during the harvesting period, and to avoid leaving mature coffee unattended for long periods.
He called on Local Council leaders, farmers and security personnel to work together to identify coffee theft hotspots and ensure that suspects are brought to book.
The increasing theft comes as Uganda continues to promote coffee production as a key agricultural export and source of household income. The Elgon region, which includes parts of eastern Uganda, is among the country’s important Arabica coffee-producing areas, with farmers relying on the crop for both domestic income and export earnings.
Farmers in Kapchorwa say stronger community policing, closer monitoring of coffee gardens and prosecution of offenders will be necessary to protect their investments and prevent coffee theft from discouraging production.
