A hands-on 10week short course for Agri professionals, cooperative quality managers and agribusiness buyers who want to move produce from farm gate to export dock with confidence. You’ll learn practical, low cost interventions and quality control systems used by successful Ugandan exporters and specialty buyers - from on farm handling and wet/dry milling to cupping, traceability and export documentation. The course combines field demonstrations, lab sessions and buyer facing checklists so participants leave ready to raise quality, reduce rejections and command better prices.

What You Will Learn - 6 modules (10 weeks)

• Module 1 — Quality Foundations and Buyer Expectations: understanding buyer grades, quality attributes for coffee and highvalue crops, contract specs and price differentials.
• Module 2 — OnFarm Practices that Preserve Quality: harvesting windows, selective picking, field sorting, handling to avoid contamination and early quality loss.
• Module 3 — Post-Harvest Processing and Milling: wet and dry processing methods, fermentation control, drying protocols, moisture targets and basic mill hygiene.
• Module 4 — Grading, Cupping and Sensory Evaluation: practical cupping sessions, defect identification, grading scales and translating sensory results into commercial decisions.
• Module 5 — Traceability, Packaging and Export Compliance: lot traceability, trace documents, phytosanitary requirements, buyer paperwork and packaging best practice for regional and international markets.
• Module 6 — Quality Management Systems and Market Access: setting up QC SOPs, sampling plans, corrective action, working with certifiers and preparing consignments for specialty and commodity buyers.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course you will be able to:

• Implement on farm and processing controls that measurably improve cup quality and reduce defects.
• Run basic cupping and grading to make informed commercial decisions and price negotiations.
• Design and operate a simple traceability system that meets buyer and regulatory expectations.
• Prepare export ready consignments with correct documentation and packaging to reduce rejections.
• Set up QC SOPs and corrective actions that embed continuous quality improvement in cooperatives or mills.
• Engage buyers confidently, using quality data and samples to secure better contracts.

Impact
Applying these practices increases the share of premium grade produce, reduces postharvest losses and lowers the risk of shipment rejections. For farmers and cooperatives this translates into higher incomes; for exporters it means stronger buyer relationships and repeat business in higher value markets.

Who Can Apply

• Cooperative quality managers and mill operators.
• Agribusiness procurement and QA staff.
• Extension officers and agronomists supporting high value crops.
• Smallholder leaders and entrepreneurs seeking export markets.
  

Delivery Model

• Blended: three field days (farm + mill visits) + weekly online lessons and recorded demonstrations.
• Practical labs: cupping sessions, moisture testing, basic lab checks and packaging trials.
• Templates & toolkits: SOPs, sampling plans, export checklist and buyer specification templates.
• Applied assessment: submit a quality improvement plan and a mock export dossier for a real crop lot.
• Optional bespoke: onsite training and quality audits for cooperatives or exporters.

Cost and Duration

• Tuition (Standard): UGX 650,000
• Tuition (Intensive): UGX 850,000
• Duration (Standard): 10 weeks
• Duration (Intensive): 6 weeks
• Study Load: 4 hours per week

Cohort Start Dates
January, April, July, October (2026–2028) - bespoke cohorts available for organisations.