Strengthening Uganda’s cocoa sector
Market analyses show that there is tremendous potential for Uganda’s cocoa to penetrate two key markets, the ‘fine flavour cocoa beans’ which is trending in Europe, and the certified cocoa market in Asia. In a drive to enable cocoa producers and exporter from Uganda to take up these great opportunities, EAC MARKUP, through ITC, organised a series of trainings for them in March and April 2021.
Internal Management Systems
The introduction of Internal Management Systems (IMS) help cocoa producers and exporters to comply with market standards and subsequently increase their access to premium markets, improve the quality of operations and get assistance in certification.
A training on IMS was organised in Bundibugyo, the main cocoa growing region of Uganda. This environment made it possible to put the key learnings into practice. Following the training, a gap assessment was conducted and ten SMEs and cooperatives were selected for coaching. Participants welcomed the opportunity and shared their appreciation.
‘I appreciate the wonderful IMS for certifications training that ITC team organized for us. This training enabled us to identify our gaps in the whole organization system,’ said Manzi Balikurungi, Executive Director Webufada.
’On behalf of Promised Land Uganda and the entire Busoga cocoa cooperators' representatives, I would like to extend our sincere appreciation for the IMS training opportunity you organized for the cocoa stakeholders. We are extremely grateful for the EU funding support that enabled us to bridge gaps in good management practices,’ added Waluube Paul, Managing Director, Promised Land.
Processing and Post-Harvest training for improving quality of Cocoa from Uganda
The development of a ‘Ugandan cocoa flavour’ can open a niche market, and help Ugandan cocoa hold its significant position in the global production of cocoa.
A six-day training on cocoa processing principles and techniques and post-harvest management contributed to this goal. Institutional extension officers and researchers, as well as SME facility managers, framers and other technical experts attended this training held in Bundibugyo. The training provided an in-depth understanding of the impact of post-harvest practices on final quality, opportunities for quality diversification and market reach. Specific guidelines for the production of high-quality cocoa were provided through theoretical and practical sessions.
Throughout the sessions, trainers demonstrated the use of processing equipment to obtain the exact points needed to ascertain the required high quality. Three fermentation trials were performed in addition to flavour tasting analysis.