By Victoria Nampala Bugembe
To empower Ugandan coffee farmers and stakeholders to compete effectively in the global market, the European Union, in collaboration with the Uganda Coffee Development Board (UCDB), is urging all coffee farmers in the country to register.
Dr Emmanuel Iyamulemye, the Managing Director of the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), explained that the National Coffee Register, established under the National Coffee Act of 2021, will serve as a foundation for a National Traceability System (NTS).
This system is designed to comply with the European Union’s regulations on deforestation-free products (EUDR) and will assign unique identifiers and geolocations to all coffee farms.
However, many in the coffee industry are apprehensive. They worry that registering their farms could enable authorities to use their coffee production to settle the country’s debts in the international market.
At a public event organized by the Rotary Club of Bweyogerere Namboole at Mamerito Hotel, Robert Waggwa Nsibirwa, the Second Deputy Premier and co-founder of the Africa Coffee Academy, stressed the importance of adapting to the new regulations.
He urged coffee farmers to embrace these changes to ensure they can directly benefit from their hard work, noting that the registration process supports farmers who prioritize environmental preservation.
“Seven years ago, the European Union used drones and satellite imagery to map forests in Uganda. They concluded that coffee sourced from areas where forests have been cleared will not be accepted in the market,” he said.
Therefore, farmers must register to demonstrate that their coffee production, which constitutes 60% of the global supply, does not originate from deforested regions.
The Buganda Kingdom is also actively supporting coffee farmers by providing essential knowledge on coffee value addition.
Farmers are encouraged to invest in their harvests, which can lead to improved financial stability and a better quality of life.
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, a forest must cover at least 1.24 acres, with trees reaching a minimum height of 16 feet and a canopy that covers at least 10 percent of the land.
Fred Luzinda Mukasa, a representative from the UCDA Board involved in the Mwanyi Terimba campaign, advised farmers to purchase coffee seedlings exclusively from licensed nursery beds to minimize losses.
“For a nursery bed or mother garden to be recognized, it must be licensed by the UCDA to operate legally and sell seedlings,” he explained.
Mukasa cautioned against hastily entering coffee farming during a time when prices are high without conducting due diligence on nursery beds and crop backgrounds.
“Farmers risk frustration after three years if their crops fail to yield as expected during bumper harvests,” he warned.
Micheal Nuwagaba, Executive Director of UGACOF and president of the Rotary Club of Bweyogerere Namboole, emphasized the significance of food security in Uganda. He advocates for the cultivation of perennial cash crops like coffee to combat poverty.
“With the registration of coffee farmers on the horizon, the global market is shaping crop management from the nursery bed to value addition, aiming to restore the economy’s focus on cash crops,” Nuwagaba stated.
Peter Kiseeka, a banker with Centenary Bank, reflected on the historical significance of coffee as Uganda’s main cash crop, which has helped many people access education.
He urged youth not to sell their ancestral lands for short-term gains, such as riding motorcycles or engaging in casual jobs, emphasizing that they can thrive by cultivating coffee instead.
LEAD PHOTO CAPTION: Fred Luzinda Mukasa, a representative from the UCDA Board wth Micheal Nuwagaba during the gathering. (Photos by Victoria Nampala Bugembe)
