![\"Wodada](\"https:\/\/iita.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Middlemen-play-p01-300x150-1.jpg\")
To understand the role of side-selling and middlemen in Uganda\u2019s coffee sector, IITA undertook a study to analyze the socioeconomic and institutional factors driving farmers\u2019 choice of marketing channels. The study was conducted in five districts of Buikwe, Luuka, Masaka, Mityana, and Mubende through participatory household and stakeholder surveys, interviews, and a validation workshop in 2019. Results are based on the 2017\/2018 season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that 55% of farmers sold their coffee to intermediaries for various reasons including, the middlemen offer to buy at farm gate which reduces transport costs for the farmer; middlemen usually do not have high demands on coffee quality as opposed to producer organizations; and they offer instant cash payments and often buy different coffee forms, such as red cherries which is an attractive option for poor farmers who cannot or do not want to invest time and money in processing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The findings of the study were shared at a forum that brought together members of the National Coffee Platform\u2014a public\u2012private sector platform that brings together key government and private sector stakeholders to dialogue and share lessons on strengthening Uganda\u2019s sustainable coffee production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The forum participants agreed that middlemen have diverse marketing niches allowing them to buy all forms of coffee at different prices. Middlemen also have more access to market information, and in some cases, were found to give farmers better prices. Their services can also complement what producers offer farmers, and their ability to buy larger quantities makes them the major suppliers to private companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The findings and policy recommendations from the study have been summarized in a policy brief: IITA, 2019. Middlemen: Threat or opportunity for the Ugandan coffee value chain? Policy brief, Kampala, Uganda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The findings will support efforts by the government and all other actors in the National Coffee public\u2012private partnership (PPP) Platform in making evidence-based decisions and policies to develop Uganda\u2019s coffee sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study was funded by the Deutsche Gesellschaft f\u00fcr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (German Development Agency ). It was conducted by Theresa Liebig, an IITA consultant and Juliana Ewert, an MSc student from Georg-August-Universit\u00e4t supported
by the IITA-CSA Coffee program in Uganda.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In many countries in Africa, middlemen are often perceived as the \u201cbad guys\u201d out to exploit and defraud farmers.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":15461,"template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"tags":[1343],"science-area":[],"program":[],"location":[47],"news-type":[],"hub":[62],"crop":[],"impact-areas":[],"item-year":[198],"class_list":["post-15448","news-item","type-news-item","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-coffeeiita-news-no-2540uganda","location-uganda","hub-eastern-africa","item-year-198"],"yoast_head":"\n