Ageing Coffee Trees, Climate Change Cut Yields for Kasese Farmers

What the report says

Farmers in Kasese District are seeing coffee harvests fall to less than one kilogramme per tree each season, according to Nile Post, as old plantations and longer dry spells weaken production. The report says yields were once around two to three kilogrammes per tree when the coffee trees were younger, and that roughly 60% of the trees are now more than 20 years old. Local officials said the decline is linked both to ageing crops and to changing weather patterns, including prolonged sunshine and dry conditions.

The district’s agricultural officer, Julius Rukara, described the lower output as a productivity problem tied to tree age, while Kasese Chief Administrative Officer Edward Kasagara said the area’s long coffee-growing history is now being challenged by climate change. The shrinking harvests are raising concerns about household incomes and the long-term viability of coffee farming in the district.

In response, WWF Uganda and partners have launched the Forest-Friendly Coffee for Climate Resilience Project, which is intended to reach 2,500 smallholder households in Kasese and Nyangavu. The project promotes agroforestry, better soil fertility, and soil and water conservation to help farmers raise yields while protecting the environment.

The report places the local effort in the context of Uganda’s wider agricultural goals, including the country’s plan to expand coffee output and improve rural incomes. It also notes a national target of 20 million bags of coffee annually by 2030, against current exports of about 8.3 million to 8.7 million bags.