By Dismus Buregyeya
Agriculture minister Frank Tumwebaze has intervened in conflict between the Masaka city coffee nursery operators and the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) in charge of the greater Masaka region.
The development follows concerns raised by the Leader of Opposition (LOP), Mathias Mpuuga, before Parliament over the operations UCDA conducted in Masaka city, where a coffee seedling worth millions was sprayed with chemicals and destroyed last week.
The UCDA operation angered the Masaka Resident City Commissioner, Muhamed Kateregga, who suspended the exercise, after the coffee nursery operators and the Masaka city Mayor, Florence Namayanja, petitioned his office, citing corruption and sabotage.
Tumwebaze dispatched a team led by the agriculture ministry under-secretary, Ronald Ssegawa, National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) and UCDA to probe the matter.
The team engaged over 300 coffee nursery bed officers at Masaka city by-pass, where they demanded the transfer of the UCDA regional extension officer, John Kabalega and some of his staff over corruption and sabotage related complaints.
“Those officers sprayed chemicals on our nursery beds when we refused to meet their demands” Fred Busulwa the chairperson of the coffee nursery operators, said.
Kabalega said the operations against illegal coffee nursery bed operators was aimed at weeding out bad seedlings. However, the affected coffee nursery operators demanded compensation on grounds that the operation was not done in good faith.
“We are the ones who provide the best coffee seedlings to UCDA, they have just turned around because of selfish interests,” Busulwa said.
Ssegawa and the agricultural team asked the affected coffee nursery operators to remain calm, adding that their concerns would be addressedin a fortnight.
“We shall engage you in trainings and ensure that your nursery beds are certified, to avoid the supply of bad coffee seedlings that may affect our brand and market,” he said.
The Masaka district National Resistance Movement party chairperson, Peter Ssenkungo, advised UCDA to address the challenges raised by the farmers and nursery operators, especially of corruption.
Ssegawa and Masaka city leaders later met another group of certified coffee nursery bed operators at Kajabwemi in Masakaa city.
