Muhanga: African Agri-preneurs apply new coffee farming techniques

Elias Hakizimana Dec 19, 2022 0 Comments

By Elias Hakizimana.

A team of academia and entrepreneurs in Agribusiness from across Africa visited SHOLI coffee farmers’ cooperative in Muhanga district, to learn new farming techniques.

They were impressed by the farming models that include drying technologies and the coffee processing machines that produce coffee until the end product for consumption, which is not yet applied in their countries.

Their visit to these farmers was part of their journey in Kigali-Rwanda, for the conference dubbed “Mountain Community to Community Exchange” organized by Albertine Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS), whereby farmers, academia and Agribusiness firms exchanged knowledge and techniques in promoting environmental friendly Agriculture.

Dr. Mwangi James, Lecture in Karatina University from Kenya said that he learned new coffee farming techniques that he can take to fellow Kenyans.

“I come here to see how they work on shaded coffee, it is a good experience which we can try in Kenya.” He said.

“I’m excited when communities are able to develop cooperative and decide how to manage a coffee plantation, it helps their communities improve their livelihoods, so I’m very interested,
It’s very important when communities learn from one another,” Mwangi added.

Mofor Maurine, Executive Director of Letch Empowering Daughters from Cameroun said that she applied how to handle coffee yield before it is taken to the factory.

“I got to know how to use organic manure fertilizer on coffee plantation,” she said.

Jacqueline Joyreen Banda/founder Jeyie foods company from Malawi said: “This is my first time visiting coffee plantation firm, I have never visited before, I get new types of coffee plants and I learned the power of togetherness. I also gained knowledge on how to combat soil erosion in coffee plantation, so, this cooperative is a good Inspirer,”