muganzi secure sectrine

YOUTH AND BROKERAGE: THERE IS MONEY IN CONNECTING THE DOTS! One thing I have learnt during my time in the coffee business is that you don’t necessarily have to own a coffee farm, a processing factory or an export company to make money in this industry. Sometimes, the money is in knowing who has the coffee and who needs it. Linking farmers or coffee sellers to buyers, exporters and international markets and earning a commission is a legitimate business. You can build an entire career around brokerage if you do it right. Interestingly, even some multinational coffee companies operate as brokers or intermediaries. Many don’t own farms or roasteries in every country where they source coffee. They connect suppliers in producing countries to buyers abroad, facilitate transactions and earn from the value they create. But many young people are doing it in a wrong way. The biggest challenge is TRUST. Some want quick money before building relationships. Today they connect a farmer to a buyer, tomorrow they disappear with someone’s money. Others exaggerate volumes, give false information about quality, bypass the person who introduced the deal or make promises they cannot fulfil. You cannot build a brokerage business on dishonesty! Young people should stop looking at brokerage as a quick-money opportunity. But rather looking at it as a brand you must build. Let farmers know you as the person who can find them reliable buyers. Let exporters know you as someone who brings genuine suppliers. Let buyers trust your information, your volumes, your quality and your word. Build connections. Understand the market. Keep your promises. Protect relationships and be consistent this is Somthing have learnt over the years in the coffee business: A good broker doesn’t just connect a seller to a buyer; they build a bridge that both sides are willing to cross again and again. You may start by earning a commission on one bag but with trust, you can eventually become the person handling thousands of bags. And to the young people who are interested in understanding how brokerage works, how to identify genuine buyers and sellers, negotiate deals, structure commissions and build a sustainable network in the coffee business, feel free to reach out. I am willing to share what I have learnt, offer guidance and help you understand how to navigate this space. You don’t have to make all the mistakes I made before you learn. Sometimes, the right connection and a little guidance can save you years of trial and error. Let’s build young, trusted and professional coffee brokers. And lastly as a young person, if you have a buyer or seller of coffee link that person to me and u will earn your commission first hand. For God and my country #YouthInCoffee

SOME BRANDS DON’T JUST SELL COFFEE, THEY INSPIRE A GENERATION! @JackieAkampwera , popularly known as Madam CEO of @JadaCoffee is one of the brands and personalities many young people in the coffee industry look up to. So rather than just admiring her journey from a distance we thought it great to bring her closer to the young people. So today we are hosting her on the @UYCAlliance Live X Space for a conversation around: THE JOURNEY OF VALUE ADDITION: FROM SOURCING TO ROASTING , HOW CAN YOUNG PEOPLE TAP INTO THE COFFEE INDUSTRY? We shall explore three key areas: Roasting: Techniques, quality and starting a roasting business. Branding: Building a coffee brand that stands out. Packaging: Creating attractive, quality products that compete in the market. 📅 Wednesday, 4th November ⏰ 8:30 PM EAT 🎙️ Host: Muganzi Secure 🌟 Guest: @JackieAkampwera (Madam CEO), JADA Coffee. Join us live on X via the link below 👇👇👇👇👇 xitter.gq/i/spaces/1WXKXMR… Young people, come with your questions. Let’s learn from someone who is already walking the journey.

YOUNG PEOPLE NEED MENTORS AND PEOPLE TO LOOK UP TO. Something has been bothering me lately and I think it is time we talked about it. Of recent, some of the so-called elders in the coffee industry have been pushing a negative narrative about coffee. We keep hearing how difficult coffee farming is, how coffee trading isn’t profitable and how clonal multiplication isn’t the way to go for our country. But something doesn’t add up! The same people telling young people that coffee farming is too difficult are busy expanding their farms. Those saying value addition isn’t the way forward are receiving processing equipments from donors . Those claiming coffee trading isn’t profitable are accessing more export capital and increasing their export volumes at affordable rates from UDB. Some have even walked away from multi-million-dollar businesses to concentrate on farming deep in the villages Now, if coffee doesn’t pay, why keep investing in it? Why choose coffee instead of maize? Why expand your acreage, increase export volumes and invest millions in processing equipments? I am not saying coffee is easy. I know the challenges because I am also in this business. But there is a difference between honestly explaining the challenges and creating a narrative that scares young people away from an industry you are personally investing and profiting from. What worries me most is that these are people young people should be looking up to. Some may have lost jobs, positions or influence in the changing coffee sector but that shouldn’t become a reason to discourage the next generation. Young people need mentors not gatekeepers. We need people who can show us what works, what doesn’t, where the risks are and where the opportunities lie. To my fellow young people, don’t build your future around somebody else’s frustration. Listen, learn, ask questions, visit farms, follow the money and do your own research. Don’t abandon an opportunity simply because someone older has chosen to tell you only the negative side of the story. Coffee has challenges, but it also has opportunities. And I believe those who have spent years in this industry owe the next generation some honesty. If coffee farming doesn’t pay tell us why you keep expanding. If trading isn’t profitable, explain why your volumes keep growing. We are not asking the older generation to make the journey easy for us. We are simply asking them to be honest enough to show us the road. After all, if you believe coffee is worth investing in with your own money, why should you convince young people that it isn’t worth their time? I come in peace For God and my country #YouthInCoffee

Coffee Associations Are Sprouting Like Coffee Seedlings! Every other day, a new coffee association is coming up in Uganda. Different names, different leaders but sometimes the same mission: supporting farmers, empowering youth, promoting coffee and improving livelihoods. And it doesn’t stop at associations. We also have NGOs running almost identical projects, visiting the same farmers, holding similar trainings, taking pictures, writing reports and moving to the next project. Yet, years later, some of these farmers are still struggling with the very same challenges they said the project could solve Now, this raises a serious question: are we creating impact or are we simply keeping projects alive? How many times should the same farmer attend training on good agricultural practices without seeing a meaningful improvement in their yields or income? Why should several organisations work with the same farmers while other communities remain untouched? Sometimes, the problem isn’t a lack of projects or funding; it’s poor coordination, duplicated interventions and too much emphasis on activities rather than measurable results. Government, donors, NGOs and coffee sector leaders need to ask themselves some tough questions. Can we coordinate our interventions better? Can we follow up on farmers after training? Can we measure how much their production, income and livelihoods have actually improved? Because a successful project should not only leave behind attendance lists, branded T-shirts and beautiful reports. It should leave farmers with something they can point to and say, “This changed my life.” Anyway, before you ask which association I belong to , I am also preparing to register an association of PLU supporters in the coffee industry. 😂😂 @JackieAkampwera CEO will be our leader and I am still looking for volunteers to fill the other positions. Our first project might be to teach other associations how to stop duplicating projects! 🤣Who knows, we might even invite all the other associations to our launch. Jokes aside, Uganda doesn’t necessarily need more organisations doing the same things. We need organisations that complement each other, reach underserved farmers and deliver measurable results. The real measure of success is not how many farmers appear in your project report but how many farmers are better off because your project existed. Guys dont roast me like coffee beans I just come in peace 😂😂😂. I have even struggled to look for pictures that suit my post just like how those association struggle to show impact 😂😂😂 For God and my country #YouthInCoffee

THE COFFEE NURSERY BUSINESS IS NOT JUST ABOUT MONEY! Sometimes I wonder whether some people selling coffee seedlings really care about the farmers buying them or whether all they care about is the money. Today, everyone wants to sell coffee seedlings because the demand is high. But are we paying attention to what is actually being sold? Some nursery operators are getting scions from any coffee farm they can find instead of sourcing them from certified mother gardens. Others are giving farmers old clones and calling them new lines simply because they are propagated through cuttings. Some are selling seedlings that have not been hardened for the required period, yet the farmer is expected to take them to the garden and hope for the best. And the sad part is the farmer may never know what went wrong until they have spent years, money and energy looking after that garden. Imagine a young person selling their goat, borrowing money or using their salary to start a coffee farm. They trust you, pay for the seedlings and plant them with hope. Then, years later they discover that what they bought was not what they were promised. Who will refund their money? Who will give them back those years? We are not just selling seedlings here. We are dealing with people’s livelihoods and the future of Uganda’s coffee industry. I appreciate the nursery operators who are doing genuine work. But we need to be honest with ourselves. The rush to make money must not destroy the very industry giving us business. To my fellow farmers, please don’t buy seedlings simply because someone tells you they are high-yielding or because the price is attractive. Ask questions about the variety, the mother garden, the source of the scions and how the seedlings have been prepared. If you are not sure, consult an agronomist or an agricultural extension officer before investing your money. And to those selling seedlings, please remember that a farmer may wait three years or more for a decision made at your nursery today to reveal its true cost. Let’s not take advantage of farmers simply because they trust us. Uganda doesn’t just need millions of coffee trees. We need the RIGHT coffee trees, from TRUSTWORTHY sources planted by farmers who know what they are investing in. Our coffee industry deserves better. Our farmers deserve better. For God and my country #YouthInCoffee

SALARY FOR FARMING Today, as I thought about you guys salary week, one thing crossed my mind. In a few hours, some bars will be full, money will be flowing and by Monday many of you will be wondering where their salary went. But what if young people started a different conversation this salary week? What if 10 friends at a workplace decided to start a Salary for Farming initiative? Here is the idea. Every month, each person contributes UGX 500,000. With 10 people, that is UGX 5 million. Every month, one member receives the money to start their journey towards owning farmland. In 10 months, all 10 members could have their own land. I know UGX 5 million may not be enough to buy an acre everywhere but land away from Kampala can range from UGX 5 million to UGX 10 million per acre depending on the location. But that UGX 5 million can be a starting point for someone to top up and secure their acre. Imagine 10 young people working together today and becoming 10 landowners tomorrow! And it doesn’t have to be workmates. It can be friends, business partners or people who share the same dream. You only need a clear agreement, transparency, discipline, and commitment. If members cannot honour their contributions, the whole idea collapses. Trust must be backed by proper rules and documented land ownership. I am not saying don’t enjoy your salary. I am asking: Must every salary week end in the bar or can some of us use it to build something that will still be ours 10 years from now? We complain that land is expensive, farming requires too much capital and young people cannot afford to start. Yet sometimes, we have never tried combining our small efforts to achieve something bigger. This salary week, find nine serious people and start the conversation. Your salary doesn’t have to build your future alone. Your friends can help you build it too. Those who think we can pull this off let’s have a discussion and see how to support each other about this SALARY FOR FARMING. Let’s turn payday into planting day! For God and my country #YouthInCoffee

Young people, please stop planting an entire coffee farm with one KR line simply because someone told you it has bigger beans! Lets talk about WHY YOUR FARM NEEDS AT LEAST 4 DIFFERENT KR LINES. Robusta is cross-pollinated. In simple terms, your coffee needs pollen from compatible plants for successful fertilisation and fruit development. Planting different, compatible KR lines that flower at the same time can support better pollination and fruit set. Now let’s assume you have 5 acres and you plant only KR8 because someone told you it produces big beans. Have you asked yourself whether you are giving your coffee the best conditions for pollination? Have you considered what happens if that single line doesn’t perform as expected on your farm? Different KR lines have different characteristics. Some may be valued for bean size, others for yield potential, others a better cup score , disease tolerance or adaptation to particular growing conditions. By selecting at least four suitable, compatible lines, you give yourself more diversity instead of depending entirely on one line. You are also creating opportunities for effective cross pollination, provided their flowering periods overlap and they are compatible. But don’t get me wrong. Mixing four lines does not automatically guarantee higher yields. The secret is choosing the RIGHT lines, understanding their characteristics and ensuring they can pollinate one another. And to our nursery operators, we need to do better. When a young farmer walks into your nursery don’t just ask how many seedlings they want and how much money they have. Ask about their farm. Explain the different KR lines, their strengths, their limitations and their pollination requirements. Your job should not end at selling seedlings; it should include helping farmers make informed decisions. To the young people, coffee farming is a long-term investment. Don’t put years of your life and millions of shillings into the ground based on the claim that one KR line is better than all the rest. Stop asking, “Which KR line is the best?” Start asking, “Which combination of compatible KR lines will give my farm the best chance of performing well?” That is how we move from simply planting coffee to understanding coffee. And that is how we build farms that can sustain us for generations. For God and my country #YouthInCoffee