Masaka Coffee Farmers Count Losses as Prolonged Dry Spell Ravages Gardens

What the report says

Coffee farmers in Masaka City are reporting losses after several months of low rainfall dried up berries, flowers and young coffee shoots, according to Nile Post. The affected areas include Kimaanya-Kabonera Division, especially Bisanje and Bukoto, where some farmers say entire trees are beginning to dry out. The report says the damage is raising concern about both the current harvest and future production in one of Uganda’s important coffee-growing regions.

Local leaders and residents told the publication that the dry spell has been unusually severe. Butale Village chairperson Bukenya Salim said households that rely on coffee are seeing their expected income disappear, while resident Kisekka Bashir said farmers who had invested money and labor in their gardens now face uncertainty about recovering those costs. Masaka City Mayor Florence Namayanja warned that weaker coffee harvests would affect not only growers but also traders and other businesses that depend on farm income.

The article places the problem in a wider regional context, noting that farmers across Greater Masaka and parts of Buganda have also reported premature flower loss and falling berries after months of inadequate rainfall. The Ministry of Local Government has said Masaka City has faced nearly four months of persistent sunshine and drought, affecting coffee, matooke and other crops, and it said the government has signed a new irrigation project that includes Masaka among its beneficiaries.

For many smallholders, however, irrigation remains unaffordable, leaving manual water carrying as the main option. The report underscores how climate variability is exposing the vulnerability of coffee production and threatening household incomes, school fees and local spending.