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Unanimous backing for Uganda coffee union's four-year-plan (en)

13 juin 2012
ITC Nouvelles
Uganda's National Union of Coffee Agribusiness and Farm Enterprises aims to further improve income opportunities for the country's coffee farmers and businesses.

The board of directors of Uganda's National Union of Coffee Agribusiness and Farm Enterprises (NUCAFE) on 28 May unanimously endorsed the union's strategic plan for 2012-16. The deal was reached at strategy-validation meeting organized by ITC's NTFII Uganda project team.

The final document was agreed after a six-month planning process, which involved NUCAFE management, farmers' associations, coffee experts and stakeholders, and staff from ITC. The strategic planning process was launched under the auspices of the Dutch-funded NTFII Uganda project. The planning process included an external assessment that identified the need for better institutional capacity building needs and an evaluation of demands by farmer associations for NUCAFE’s services. This was complemented by an assessment of existing services offered by NUCAFE, which concluded that there is a need to review these so as to better achieve the union's corporate objectives.

Achievements and challenges

At a workshop, NUCAFE's Executive Director Joseph Nkandu presented a synopsis of the union's evolution, as well as its achievements, challenges and experiences. Deputy Executive Director David Muwonge explained the union's approach to implementing the strategic plan so that it achieves its goal of establishing "a sustainable market-driven system of coffee-farmer enterprises and organizations" so as to empower them to increase their household incomes through enhanced entrepreneurship and innovation.

The strategic plan will be officially launched at NUCAFE’s Annual General Meeting, which will be held in Kampala on 28 June.