Farmers on a guided tour at JBK Modern FarmPractical farm management, soil nutrition, financing and training can help farmers raise yields and improve coffee incomes.By Julius BusingeFor Uganda to turn its growing coffee export earnings into sustained wealth for farmers, increasing the number of coffee trees will not be enough. Farmers will have to improve what they get from every tree, acre and investment.That was the central message from a coffee farm visit and training held at JBK Modern Farm in Kikerege village, Kikyusa, Luwero District, on September 5, where about 150 farmers gathered to learn how better agronomic practices, nutrition, record-keeping and financial management can improve productivity.The training, organised by Business Focus in partnership with JBK Modern Farm and other partners, brought together farmers from across Uganda at different stages of the coffee enterprise, including established producers and those planning to establish plantations.The event comes as Uganda’s coffee industry strengthens its position in the global market. Official figures from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries show that Uganda exported 7.75 million 60-kilogramme bags worth US$2.21 billion in the 2024/25 financial year, with recent figures indicating a record 8.2 million bags valued at US$2.3 billion. Under the National Coffee Roadmap, Uganda targets 20 million 60kg bags annually by 2030. To achieve this, the country must not only put more land under coffee but also raise productivity, improve quality and ensure farmers run coffee as a profitable business.Uganda grows both Robusta and Arabica. Robusta is dominant and widely cultivated in lowland areas, while Arabica is mainly grown in high-altitude areas including Mt. Elgon, Rwenzori, Kigezi and parts of southwestern Uganda.The lessons from JBK Modern Farm show what it takes to make a farm highly productive.Soil is the starting pointJBK Modern Farm sits on about 32 acres and employs more than seven people. It has increasingly become a practical learning centre for commercial coffee production. Of the 32 acres, 25 are under coffee with 30,000 bushes planted at different spacing regimes – 8ft by 6ft, 10ft by 5ft and 6ft by 6ft. On average, each tree produces 4kgs of FAQ (Kase) per year.Proprietor Eng. Jossy Balissa Kuta told farmers that soil health is the foundation of productive coffee farming.“Organic matter is key for successful coffee production,” Kuta said.He also urged Ugandans to embrace coffee as a strategic economic activity. “If you do not grow coffee you are doing a disservice to the nation,” he said.The message is critical because coffee is a perennial crop; decisions made at establishment affect productivity for many years. A farmer who invests in good planting material, soil preparation, proper spacing, nutrition and disease management at the start builds a stronger foundation for future harvests.But soil fertility cannot be maintained through fertiliser alone.Moses Paga Monday, Head of Specialty Fertiliser at ETG Uganda, urged farmers to first understand their soils before deciding what nutrients to apply.“Farmers should base fertiliser use on soil analysis and testing, ensuring nutrients applied match the specific needs of coffee plants,” Monday said.The emphasis on soil testing matters because fertiliser is a major cost for commercial farmers.Applying nutrients without knowing what the soil lacks wastes inputs while leaving critical deficiencies unresolved.Soil testing helps farmers identify deficiencies and develop targeted fertiliser programmes. For a farmer running coffee as a business, this means making input decisions based on evidence rather than guesswork.Kuta agreed, noting that many farmers apply fertiliser blindly. At JBK, soil tests guide how much organic matter and inorganic fertiliser is applied per block, which has helped maintain the 4kg per tree average even during dry spells.Acreage does not guarantee yieldsJohn Ssekamwa, a coffee nutrition agronomist from Yara East Africa, challenged farmers to stop measuring the potential of their coffee business by the number of acres planted.“Large acreage does not automatically translate into high production,” Ssekamwa said.Instead, productivity depends on a combination of factors including nutrition, genetics, correct spacing, pest and disease management and effective day-to-day management.This is a critical lesson for Uganda’s national ambitions. A farmer with hundreds of acres of poorly managed coffee may produce less than a farmer on a smaller plot whose trees receive appropriate nutrition, water and timely pest control.Ssekamwa therefore urged farmers to focus on productivity per tree and per acre rather than simply expanding plantation size.He also stressed the importance of keeping farm records. Farmers should know how many trees they have, how much they produce, how much they spend on inputs and labour, and how production changes season to season.“Getting statistics at the farm is important for sustainability of the enterprise,” he said.Such records allow farmers to determine whether their plantations are truly profitable. They reveal where costs are rising, which blocks are performing better, and where interventions are needed. Without records, farmers cannot calculate the real cost of producing a kilogramme of coffee or know whether they are making a profit or loss.At JBK Modern Farm, for example, records show input costs per tree, yield per block and income per season – data that informs decisions on whether to replant, intensify feeding or adjust spacing.Start with the right varieties The quality of planting material was another key lesson. Farmers can spend years investing in land preparation, labour, fertiliser and disease control only to discover that poor quality or unsuitable planting material has limited the plantation’s potential. Ssekamwa emphasised selecting the right genetics and maintaining proper spacing. For new farmers, these decisions are crucial because coffee is a long-term investment. Properly managed coffee can remain income-generating for decades, up to about 50 years depending on variety and management.That long horizon makes mistakes at establishment expensive. Farmers must consider variety suitability to their location, seedling quality, soil conditions, spacing, access to water and the resources needed to maintain the plantation before planting.He advised farmers to source seedlings from certified nurseries and to match variety to altitude and rainfall patterns. Robusta, for instance, performs better in Luwero’s conditions than Arabica, which requires cooler highland climates.Water and management matterWater is becoming an increasingly important component of commercial coffee production. Farmers were encouraged to assess water availability on their farms and plan for periods of inadequate rainfall. This is more relevant as weather patterns become unpredictable.JBK Modern Farm has demonstrated the use of irrigation and precision management to reduce dependence on rainfall. Such practices underline the shift from rain-fed farming to deliberate management of conditions required for optimal performance.But technology alone cannot guarantee success. Ssekamwa told farmers that security, continuous learning and practical experience are also part of running a sustainable coffee business.He encouraged farmers to read about coffee, learn from other producers and pay attention to what works in their specific conditions. The farm, he said, should be treated as a business whose performance must be monitored and improved continuously.Kuta added that farm security is often overlooked. Coffee theft during harvest season can wipe out profits. At JBK, workers live on-site and harvesting is supervised, which has reduced losses.Finance must match the harvest cycleEven where farmers understand what needs to be done, lack of capital prevents timely investment in inputs and equipment.Benjamin Owoyesigire, Manager for Vehicle and Asset Finance at dfcu Bank, encouraged farmers to explore financing options designed around agricultural cash flows.He said dfcu provides financing under the Agricultural Credit Facility (ACF), a government-backed programme, at 12% interest per annum. The bank also finances farm vehicles, equipment and other productive assets.“At dfcu, we know the needs of a coffee farmer and we tailor our products based on the needs of each client. We are able to offer a loan facility with a repayment plan based on the seasonal earnings of a farmer,” Owoyesigire said.The importance of such financing lies in the mismatch between farm expenditure and income. Coffee farmers spend on fertiliser, labour, spraying and weeding months before they earn from coffee sales. A loan with fixed monthly repayments that ignores the production cycle can strain the farmer.Owoyesigire said dfcu also provides capacity building in financial and corporate management. For coffee farmers, financial literacy can be as important as access to credit. A farmer needs to know how much was invested, the cost per kilogramme and the expected return before taking on debt.He cautioned farmers against borrowing for non-productive purposes and urged them to reinvest coffee proceeds into farm improvement, especially soil health and irrigation.Training closes knowledge gapsFor Eng. Kuta, farm visits and practical trainings make a difference, especially for beginners. He said the September 5 training was valuable in improving knowledge and performance of farmers entering the business.The value of such training lies in allowing farmers to see recommended practices in a real farm environment rather than only through classroom extension. The 150 participants interacted with agronomists, experienced farmers, financial sector representatives and input suppliers on issues affecting production.The lessons were practical: test soil before applying fertiliser; use quality planting material; maintain proper spacing; invest in nutrition; manage pests and diseases; plan for water; keep farm records; secure the farm; understand production costs; and align finance to the harvest cycle.These measures may appear straightforward, but collectively they determine whether a plantation remains a low-productivity holding or becomes a commercially viable enterprise.Uganda may have the land, climate and international market for coffee, but capturing the full economic opportunity will depend on what happens at the farm level. As Ssekamwa summarised, the target of 20 million bags by 2030 will not be achieved by acreage alone, but by what farmers do between planting and harvesting.The post Stop Counting Acres, Feed The Soil: How Ugandan Farmers Can Double Coffee Yields appeared first on Business Focus.