About Kiyaga Cooperation

The idea to start Kiyaga FCSL came into being after a few individual farmers (Katongole Herbert, Banjutsya Steven, Kiconco Ezra, Muhanguzi Miriam and Asiimwe Francis) came together, in 2008, to discuss challenges that faced them in relation to marketing of the agricultural produce.in 1999.The cooperative got registered in 2009 with the assistance of the Ntungamo District Commercial Officer (DCO), but remained dormant until 2012. In 2012, one of the founder members learnt about how farmers in a neighboring sub county, Kiyoola, had formed Kiyooya Coffee Cooperative Society Limited, which enabled them to collectively market their coffee. As he learnt, farmers were able to benefit from services like access to agri-inputs as well as sharing bonuses (based on patronage) at the end of the year
At the advice of the DCO, the members visited another cooperative, Abateganda coffee cooperative society to learn about the cooperative coffee marketing model. Thereafter, 10 members were selected by the Chairman for occasional training by Mr. Kakuru Albert, an agricultural extension officer, as well as cooperators from Abateganda coffee cooperative society. During the same year, members of Kiyaga FCS started bulking with 10,124Kgs of Fair Average Quality (FAQ) Coffee, which they sold to Ankole Coffee Producers Cooperative Union (ACPCU). About 20 members bulked the coffee to raise the above quantities. The cooperative then embarked on a journey to educate members and mobilizing them to supply to the cooperative. In 2015, there was a serious drought that led to lower yields, and some farmers sold the coffee at flowering stage to access credit. In the same year, the cooperative stated to audit their books of accounts using the DCO. In the years 2015 and 2016, the price offers from middlemen was far higher than that offered by ACPCU; and this swayed away members to the traders. In 2017/18 when ACPCU offered a better price (29% higher than price offered by traders), the members resumed supply to the cooperative, boosting the volumes bulked.