Karagangura Peak Modern Coffee Farmers Cooperative (KAPCCO) is a farmer-owned cooperative that started in 2013 to empower smallholder coffee farmers through joint bulking, collective marketing and training in sustainable farming. The cooperative is located in Kabarole district in the Rwenzori region with its 764 farmers spread across altitudes between 1700 – 2200 masl.
Harvest patterns in the region are changing due to climate change. Since 2024, what was the fly crop season (April – June) has shifted earlier, now starting in February and continuing through June until the main crop season (August – October). KAPCCO is stepping in through its extension service to train its members in the seasonal changes, the implications, and how to adapt and benefit throughout the year.
The cooperative is currently implementing an agroforestry program. Working with a non-profit, KAPCCO is distributing indigenous trees like Cordia Africana, and fruit trees like Jack fruits and mangoes to 120 farmers to intercrop within their coffee fields to provide shade, promote biodiversity and improve soil health. The program will run in phases to have all the 764 farmers benefit within a period of 25 years.
To enable easy accessibility for members, KAPCCO operates 6 collection centers distributed across Karangura subcounty. Farmers deliver red cherries to these centers and are paid on delivery. The red cherries are then transported to Karangura Peak head offices, where they are floated and sun dried on raised tables. The cooperative has plans of developing infrastructure like storage and drying table at each of the different collection centers to better manage the quality.
