The rich aroma of freshly brewed Arabica coffee filled the air in Mbale City as Bugisu Cooperative Union Limited (BCU) played host to a high-powered Chinese delegation during the ongoing 1st Uganda-China Coffee Tour 2025. The landmark visit, which began on May 12 in Greater Masaka, aims to deepen bilateral trade relations and explore investment opportunities in Uganda’s thriving coffee sector.
The Chinese delegation, composed of senior officials, investors, and agricultural experts, was accompanied by Uganda’s Ambassador to China, H.E. Oliver Wonekha. Their brief stop in Mbale marked a key highlight of the nationwide coffee tour — focusing on Uganda’s premium Arabica coffee, a major export grown in the Bugisu region on the slopes of Mt. Elgon.
At Bugisu Cooperative Union headquarters, the visitors were welcomed by the Union’s leadership, local farmers, and cultural performers who showcased the Bagisu heritage. BCU, a historic farmers’ cooperative dating back to 1954, took the opportunity to present its legacy, achievements, and future prospects in premium organic coffee production.
“We are proud to share our story with our friends from China,” said BCU Chairman, James Wandera, during the tour. “Our farmers work tirelessly to produce some of the best Arabica coffee in the world, and we are excited about the growing demand from China.”
The delegation toured the Union’s processing facilities, interacted with local farmers, and tasted freshly brewed Bugisu Arabica coffee. The visitors expressed admiration for the quality, consistency, and unique flavor of the coffee, which is cultivated at high altitudes using traditional methods.Later in the day, the team paid a brief but symbolic visit to the Sino-Uganda Mbale Industrial Park, a flagship investment zone developed under the Uganda-China economic cooperation framework.
The park represents China’s growing footprint in Uganda’s industrial sector, housing over 20 companies in agriculture, manufacturing, and logistics.At the park, the delegation explored possible avenues for collaboration, particularly in agro-processing, value addition, and technology transfer to benefit coffee farmers and cooperatives like BCU.
“This visit reinforces the growing partnership between Uganda and China,” noted H.E. Wonekha.“It is not just about trade, but building long-term friendships that benefit our people — especially farmers in regions like Bugisu.”
The Uganda-China Coffee Tour 2025 continues across Eastern and Northern Uganda, with plans to convene a business forum in Kampala at the end of the tour to discuss trade agreements, joint ventures, and investment incentives.As the sun set behind the lush Elgon hills, the team left Mbale with bags of Bugisu coffee in hand and a deeper appreciation of Uganda’s coffee heritage. For BCU and its 250,000+ members, the visit symbolized a growing bridge between local farmers and the world’s fastest-growing coffee consumer — China.
