Coffee Is Now So Expensive That Farms Are Becoming Crime Scenes
- Thieves are looting beans as local prices soared to a record
- Growers turn to guard dogs and bee hives to deter criminals
To stop his coffee crops being stolen yet again, Ugandan farmer Charles Waliggo has been waking during the night to patrol his plot. Others are being urged to turn to dogs to guard plantations — or even bees.
The security measures are necessary to stop thieves snatching unharvested beans straight from trees under cover of darkness, a problem that has become much more serious as prices soar. Two of the country’s farming associations say coffee theft has hit unprecedented levels this year.