Uganda coffee firms form CCPAU for global trade

A bunch of coffee players finally got their act together and formed a trade group to stop selling their beans for pocket change on the global market.

Commercial Coffee Producers Association of Uganda

• The Commercial Coffee Producers Association of Uganda was launched after a March 19th General Assembly.
• Founding members include farmers, exporters, processors, and cooperatives all under one roof.
• The group’s game plan is quality, branding, collaboration, and export growth.
• They’re angling for better margins and more bargaining power for the whole chain.

Six-Pronged Strategy

• The association is focusing on quality, productivity, and getting beans into new markets.
• Members are also gunning for easier access to money and better logistics.
• They want to turn Ugandan coffee into a legit global brand everyone recognizes.
• The framework leans heavily on sharing knowledge across the entire industry.

UKTP Program Roots

• The British High Commission and International Trade Centre helped bankroll the early groundwork.
• Producers got their foot in the door at the big London, Manchester, and Madrid coffee festivals.
• Those international trips helped them lock in new buyers before the association was formal.
• Ambassador Lisa Chesney said the UK backs pushing Ugandan coffee up the value chain.