Crop to Cup Forum

[taylorm]

Interesting story here from the BBC:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7255478.stm

Our C2C coffee surely uses the same Kampala-Mombasa route mentioned in the article. This obvioiusly won't directly affect any of our customers, although it will surely have an effect on the Ugandan coffee industry.

We need the railways back up in operation! Sure, railroads may also get disrupted by problems in Kenya, but I would estimate to a far less extent. Truckers are much more vulnerable than trains (search for some of the Monitor stories about the many drivers who were recently raped). There's a line running from Mombasa to Kampala (with offshoots that run right past the building where our coffee is processed in Mbale), but it's not really operational. There are of course "plans" to upgrade the line soon, but don't expect anything in the next 5 years or so. Hopefully I'm wrong.