How dfcu Bank is helping award winning Ojok transform Northern Uganda’s coffee value chain

What the report says

The Independent Uganda reported on July 23, 2026, that Alfred Ojok, founder of Hasting Coffee Centre in Northern Uganda, is using coffee-focused agribusiness to support smallholder farmers and strengthen the region’s coffee value chain. In an interview, Ojok said the enterprise grew from a desire to improve rural livelihoods and now works in coffee production and marketing, distribution of coffee and banana seedlings, and beekeeping.

According to the report, Hasting Coffee Centre supports farmers with improved seedlings, climate-smart farming practices, pest and disease management, post-harvest handling, coffee bulking and hulling. Ojok said these activities are intended to raise productivity, improve quality and help farmers obtain better prices. He was named a 2025 Best Farmers Awards winner, a programme organised by Vision Group in partnership with dfcu Bank and other stakeholders to recognise agricultural innovation and impact.

The article frames dfcu Bank as a key supporter through financing, farmer knowledge-sharing, networking and award platforms. Ojok said banking with dfcu has positioned his business to seek financing for expansion, including a major banana seedling supply contract. He also credited the Best Farmers Awards with increasing Hasting Coffee Centre’s visibility and creating new professional opportunities.

Ojok also described lessons from a Netherlands study tour linked to the awards, citing exposure to automation, cooperative systems, quality assurance, traceability and export-focused farming. He said Hasting Coffee Centre is applying some of those lessons through better farm management, soil practices and digital records. The report said contacts were made with Dutch coffee businesses, including a roaster interested in visiting Uganda and sourcing coffee directly from farmers.