KITGUM, July 1, 2026 — Mucwini Coffee Growers’ Co-operative Society Limited in Kitgum district, Northern Uganda, is transforming coffee seedling scarcity into surplus, with an ambitious target of producing 140,000 seedlings annually for farmers across Kitgum and the wider East Acholi sub-region.
Just two years after its formation in 2024, the cooperative has grown from 30 founding members to 157 registered farmers. In that short period, members have collectively distributed 35,000 seedlings and established more than 300 acres of new coffee gardens in Kitgum district and neighbouring areas.
The cooperative was established to ensure farmers in Mucwini Subcounty and Kitgum at large have reliable access to quality coffee seedlings.
“As a coffee farmer since 2018, I told the members that we should establish our own coffee nursery bed where we can supply farmers, and the members agreed,” said Sisto Langoya, the cooperative’s Chairperson.
That decision marked the society’s first major milestone. The nursery produced 35,000 seedlings, which were distributed to farmers. By 2025, 140 members had received seedlings and planted them across their gardens, covering more than 300 acres of coffee.
The nursery’s expansion has been largely financed through members’ contributions. Each member paid a subscription fee of Shs 50,000, raising a total of Shs 4.7 million, which was used to purchase equipment and establish a water supply system for the nursery. Reliable water access has been crucial for producing healthy seedlings in Kitgum’s variable climate.
Membership in the cooperative comes with a financial commitment. Farmers currently pay Shs 133,000 to join, a fee that also qualifies them to access seedlings. The model has proven attractive, with membership rising from 30 to 157 in just two years.
Buoyed by early success, the Mucwini Coffee Growers’ Cooperative Society has set even more ambitious goals. It now aims to produce and supply 140,000 seedlings annually, sufficient to meet demand within Kitgum district and expand across East Acholi.
“We have over 900 coffee seedlings that we are currently managing in our nursery bed, which we will supply to farmers early next year in 2027,” Langoya said. “Our main target is to multiply seedlings and supply the entire Kitgum district and East Acholi at large.”
According to Langoya, the National Coffee Research Institute [NaCORI] has endorsed the cooperative’s efforts. After visiting the nursery, officials advised farmers to transition from Holland coffee varieties to clonal varieties, which are more drought-resistant and better suited to changing weather conditions.
He added that the guidance aligns with the cooperative’s long-term vision of building a resilient coffee economy in the region.
Alex Opira, Kitgum District Commercial Officer, said the Mucwini model reflects a growing appreciation for cooperative societies among local communities.
“Of late, communities have seen the importance of being in a society; that is why they are coming together,” Opira said.
Coffee farming in Kitgum district is expanding as a government initiative to boost household incomes in Northern Uganda. Farmers are primarily focusing on Robusta coffee, with hundreds of thousands of disease-resistant seedlings and organic fertilizers distributed to sub-counties to help the cash crop take root.
https://thecooperator.news/kitgum-taxi-cooperative-begins-process-for-permanent-registration/
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