By George Bukenya
As government commence the country wide registration of coffee farmers and dealers, the Minister of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries Frank Tumwebaze rubbished rumours that the exercise is political.
Although the registration according to the Minister will also help government to have data base for proper planning for the sub-sector, the Minister said that this isn’t government initiative but a requirement by the European Union Deforestation Regulation which was approved by the EU Parliament on December 2022 aimed at curtailing indiscriminate cutting down of forests globally causing climate change.
Uganda exports about 60% of her coffee exports to European market which indicates a huge market potential according to the UCDA report of October 2022.
“Government has no ill intentions in this exercise of registering coffee farmers and dealers this is economical survival rather than political because we need to fight and maintain the European market which is the largest buyer of our coffee.”Tumwebaze stated.
” In this exercise we shall leave no stone unturned, all coffee player have to registered because this will not only help us to bargain for better prices for our coffee and maintain the market as well, it’s also better to have data for better planning purposes” He said.
This is a market issue not a forceful matter, “If one doesn’t comply he/she will miss out, exporters will not buy from you.”
He further said that the exercise is intended to curtail environmental degradation through cutting down forests and reclaiming swamps for agricultural activities.
UCDA officials serving coffee to journalist at Uganda Media Centre recently.
The Minister also revealed that other crops like cocoa, palm oil, Soya, Cotton rubber and animal farming especially cattle will also be affected in this exercise as a prerequisite to have their product to be allowed to enter into the European market.
Although there are no specific funds budgeted and allocated by government for this particular exercise, Tumwebaze said that Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) will use part of the fund allocated to it in the running budget to effect the exercise.
The Director Development Services at UCDA Dr. Gerald Kyalo said that this financial year government allocated to the Authority UGX 13.9 billion and they will use part of and UGX 16 billoon secured fromvAgricultural Business Intiative (ABI) one of the Development partners to effect the task.
While addressing Journalists in the same press briefing Dr.Kyalo assured government that the task will be completed in the required period and that they have the necessary man power and this only be limited by funds.
The deadline is at December 3th, 2024 and registration is free of charge, meanwhile the Minister said that government will not pull out its long hand to coarse farmers and dealers to register, they will only be acted upon by the market dictatorship.