Mubende Coffee Nursery Operators Demand Payment for Four-Year-Old Supplies

What the report says

Coffee nursery operators in Greater Mubende have asked Uganda’s Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries to explain delays in paying for seedlings they say were supplied to government on credit in 2022. The issue was raised during a meeting at Mubende District headquarters with ministry officials, district leaders and affected operators. The nursery owners said the unpaid bills have left some in debt, led to property losses and created pressure from banks and moneylenders.

According to the Nile Post report, the operators are led by the Greater Mubende Coffee Nursery Operators Association and say they have repeatedly sought payment without success. Some also said the problem predates 2022, with one operator claiming a separate group is still waiting for money linked to supplies made in 2019. District officials present at the meeting backed their call for a response from the ministry and warned that prolonged delays could discourage farmers from taking part in government programmes.

The operators also complained that they were being left out of later seedling supply opportunities, even though they had stock ready. They said some recent coffee seedling distributions in the region appeared to come from outside Mubende. They additionally raised concern about unregistered and uncertified nurseries, saying poor-quality seedlings could harm farmers and coffee production.

In response, assistant commissioner Rauben Keimwisya said the ministry was arranging payment of outstanding arrears and urged the operators to remain patient. He said part of an initial balance had already been cleared and the remaining amount was about Shs22 million, while also calling on local authorities to stop uncertified seedling dealers.