Business 19 March 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Bugisu Women Boost Incomes Through Premium Coffee Value Addition
Women in Mbale, Sironko, and Bududa districts are transforming their livelihoods by processing coffee to premium standards, earning significantly more than from raw sales. Initiatives like training and cooperatives empower them with higher prices, financial independence, and community impact. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/bugisu-women-mint-cash-from-selling-quality-coffee-5397142
Women farmers in Uganda’s Bugisu sub-region, particularly in Mbale, Sironko, and Bududa districts, are seeing substantial income gains by adding value to their coffee through sorting, washing, drying, and grading to meet Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) premium requirements.
Previously dominated by men, the coffee sector left women with meager earnings from selling raw cherries to middlemen at Shs2,000-5,000 per kilogramme. Now, processed sun-dried beans fetch Shs20,000-25,000 per kilogramme, providing a clear path to financial empowerment.
Meridah Nandudu, founder of Bayaaya Specialty Coffee Company in Mbale, trains women on quality practices and utilizes coffee byproducts like husks for briquettes and pulp for cascara tea, promoting environmental sustainability. Her network processes over 30 bags of 50kg daily, with farmers saving weekly and gaining household decision-making power.
Gloria Wekesa of Yinyauka Specialty Coffee Limited sells over 100 bags per season to local supermarkets and markets in Kenya and Rwanda after adopting value addition techniques. Maria Wekesa from Bududa credits her cooperative for higher earnings and respect, while Rebecca Namutosi of Bukalasi Women Coffee Cooperative notes improved homes, education, and businesses among members.
Challenges persist, including equipment shortages, financing, and price volatility, but support from UNBS, Bugisu Cooperative Union (BCU)—where women comprise 60% of 10,000 members—and financial literacy programs are driving progress. UNBS deputy director Patricia Bageine Ejalu urges farmer associations to target local markets first.
Coffee remains Uganda’s top export, with recent figures showing 8.4 million bags exported from November 2024 to October 2025, valued at $2.4 billion—a 77% value increase year-over-year.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)