Kugonza Nicholas Agronomist

Coffee Agronomist working with #strategies for International Development
[email protected]

[Amos Wekesa @wekesa_amos]

RWENZORI MARATHON

We gave Uganda its first world label marathon and for the first time, Uganda has a race on the same calendar as LONDON MARATHON, NEW YORK MARATHON, TOKYO MARATHON etc

Our dream is give Uganda someday a world gold label marathon and if it refuses, we shall try give another country that opportunity God willing.

We now know what we should do and have the right networks for Uganda!

Kasese people are GUMITE

[Mohammed Kakiika @mohammedkakiika]

"Timing" the stitching component to success

[Kugonza Nicholas Agronomist @NickKugonza]

Timely GAPs gives results

[Kugonza Nicholas Agronomist @NickKugonza]

@Kasuku256 Watukutee 100% His excelency

[Kugonza Nicholas Agronomist @NickKugonza]

The beauty behind farming is underated

[Kitara Football Club (The Royals) @KitarafcHoima]

3 valuable points secured at home.

Focus turns on Sunday's Uganda Cup semi final first leg.

[Snr. Cde. Robert Kabushenga @rkabushenga]

Kabushenga’s Thoughts

Doing Fulfilling Things

Today, I took a group of people to my coffee farm. It was eclectic mix of those who want to follow in the footsteps of my farming journey and others who simply wanted a weekend out on a farm. I had stopped doing this six years ago. Then I gave a talk on coffee to a Business Fireside Chat at the Bight of Benin Restaurant in Kampala last February. By the end of it, there was a push for me to do this again. I agreed. And so it happened. What we do on these tours is to explain the complexities of farming coffee. I always want to make sure that by the end of it all, there is no illusion about the business of growing coffee.

Part of the problem is the positive financial performance of the coffee sector . The perception now is that there is a lot of assured quick and big money to be made. This is false. And when I respond to the curious, I make a point to disabuse them of this misconception. The other way I do this is by giving my visitors a real experience of some the work we do on the fair. So they understand what it actually takes to grow coffee and take it to market. On this occasion I took them through the tedium of picking ripe coffee cherries. After some walking over the whole morning, they only managed a harvest of 6 kgs. They were tired. My point was made. The work of growing coffee to the point where it can be sold, is tough.

Eleven years ago this week, I planted the first coffee seedling at @RugyeyoFarmLtd. Over the years I have understood that while coffee farming is an exacting undertaking, it is the one segment of the value chain where most Ugandans can participate for financial return. It is the only opportunity open to us as local Ugandans to generate and capture value. The other segments have prohibitively high financial barriers to entry. Even where public investment is made like Tanzania did in secondary processing of ready to drink coffee, it has only benefitted factory owners or state employees who run the government outfit. Farmer incomes remain unchanged, in fact they bring their coffee green beans for sale in the lucrative market of Uganda. In Uganda, the farmer pockets 85% of the international market price. The way to improve farmer turnover is public investment in farmer ability to get hogs yields and improve quality. This higher turnover will translate into taxable income for the Treasury. Margins can be better if some of the costs like fertilizer and water can be subsidized. This will pay for itself through ability to employ more people.

You would think these things would be obvious. But there is the old adage about the prevalence of common sense. So people like me will do what we can. To grow our coffee and mentor those who have the courage to try this. It is the perfect celebration and payback for being a part of this fulfilling coffee farming journey

[Amos Wekesa @wekesa_amos]

Pabidi Lodge Budongo ltd

⁦@opigojimmy⁩ passed by Pabidi lodge today and took these pictures

[Kugonza Nicholas Agronomist @NickKugonza]

@TaddewoS You did great how was the screen size performance

[Kugonza Nicholas Agronomist @NickKugonza]

@TaddewoS The bees are happy welldone @TaddewoS

[Douglas Lwanga @DouglasLwangaUg]

If you ask someone for financial help and they say they don’t have dime, don’t get bitter. Just like you also don’t have, others may be in that same place. Be guided,don’t feel entitled. Everyone is struggling with something.

[Kugonza Nicholas Agronomist @NickKugonza]

@SandraNabasirye Amen

[Amos Wekesa @wekesa_amos]

One nature group is setting up a safari lodge along Kazinga channel in Queen Elizabeth national Park.

A room will cost just over 10,000,000 per night when done and will attract another level of spenders.

[Kugonza Nicholas Agronomist @NickKugonza]

@SpiceFMHoima But Hoima to Bugambe road is still in a very sorry state

[Kugonza Nicholas Agronomist @NickKugonza]

2026 has started great n we hope for more powerful wins at the farm

[Kugonza Nicholas Agronomist @NickKugonza]

The harvest continues at the farm even though prices have slightly reduced but we shall wait for mid january to sale we hope the stablise

[Kugonza Nicholas Agronomist @NickKugonza]

We continue with harvest at NIPRI farm as we conserve nature birds lay eggs in the coffee and have been preserved and have been able to hatch.

[Kugonza Nicholas Agronomist @NickKugonza]

@AdyeeriHannah @ubctvuganda @HonByamukama Nze mpulira biibyoo

[Kugonza Nicholas Agronomist @NickKugonza]

@scifaama Sometimes it can come from scales which are white in colour control in the same way.
They normaly cause fruit abortion and reduces photosythesis capacity of the plant hence reduced productivity and a loss to the farmer.

[Kugonza Nicholas Agronomist @NickKugonza]

@scifaama This is black shooty mold caused by aphids sucking sap from the plant and they are normaly moved by ants.
*Remedy*
The farmer must assess the % of damaged trees in an acre if it can cause economic loss he
Control by spraying with systemic insecticide on an interval of 2 weeks