Reports from Busoga sub-region in eastern Uganda reveal that farmers are keeping awake nights to guard their cocoa beans amid record high prices. 

Even though global prices have decreased to $7,871 a tonne on May 3, they are still 93.8% more than in January 2024. 

Busoga districts including Mayuge, Kamuli and Jinja have become a hot topic recently after farm gate prices for their cocoa tripled. Farmers who earned 8,000 shillings ($2.11) in 2023 were reaping up to 31,000 shillings ($8.16) per kg by mid-April 2024. 

According to the chairman of Jinja District Cocoa Growers Association,  Michael Zagenda, rates have never been better here since 1968.  In a word, the city on the shores of Lake Victoria is experiencing triple cocoa prices in a year. 

This is despite the fact that Busoga is not the only growing belt. The crop thrives mostly in central, southeastern, southwestern and western Uganda.

Thieves Enter

With such lucrative deals for cocoa growers, it is no wonder then that petty pilfers are eager to cash in. 

A BBC Live story on May 1, 2024 revealed that farmers were beefing up security on their farms to avert losses.

An export firm suggests that 30% of cocoa beans in Uganda are under threat of stealing if farmers lack vigilance.

Mutanga Grace of Mkulima Exports Uganda avers that pilfering just a few beans is still a lot for expensive produce.

Fourth Biggest Foreign Revenue Earner in Uganda

Although belatedly stealing the spotlight, cocoa has always been a major crop in Uganda since the 1990s’ farm liberalization.

In 2023, cocoa beans ranked fourth after tea, coffee and fish as Uganda’s biggest foreign revenue generators.  The country exports its harvest in the form of raw beans to Europe, especially the Netherlands.

Besides foreign revenue, Uganda’s cocoa-chocolate value chain via local supermarkets generates at least $8.3 million per year.

With this extensive revenue base, it is therefore quite understandable that stealing cocoa beans in Busoga has lately surfaced.