By Peter Abaanabasazi
Bunyoro region-based coffee farmers and some parts of the central region have been urged to embrace registration of their coffee farms.
The move is in the country’s preparation for the implementation of European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
On May 31, 2023, the EU passed Regulation (EU) 2023/1115, known as the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR) prohibiting the growing and rearing of cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soya and wood, as well as products on land where they have cut a trees (forest).
According to the regulation, starting December 2020 and beyond any commodity that will be produced from Deforested land will not be allowed on the EU market.
The regulation indicates that any farmers with 0.5 hectares (1.4 acres of land) with different species of trees, for example, Eucalyptus with five meters above, with 10% canopy covers, will not be allowed to convert this land for farmers’ purposes and those will go against the regulation, their produce will not be prohibited in the EU market.
During the meeting organised by the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) to sensitise farmers, district leaders and technical staff from the districts of Kyankwanzi, Kiboga, Mubende, Kikuube, Hoima, Hoima city, Kagadi, Kibaale, Masindi, Kibaale and Kakumiro, farmers were asked to ignore the propaganda against the registration exercise.
UCDA western region manager Mathew Kwikiriza challenged the farmers to comply with the regulation adding that if they fail to comply, Uganda will lose out on the big coffee and cocoa market.
He noted that in the year 2023/2024 Uganda exported 6.13 million bags of coffee which fetched shillings 1.14 trillion to the economy of the country and market was from countries under EU.
He noted that the Government has started implementing the regulation by registering farmers for easy traceability.
He noted that Uganda was given up until December 2025 to start complying with regulations and called on religious, and political leaders and other stakeholders to mobilise the coffee farmers to embrace the registration to be able to catch up with the deadline.
Israel Sebugenyi, the in-charge of technology at UCDA, said the Government has contracted PULA to register farmers’ coffee value chain actors on behalf of the Government.
He challenged the local leaders to support the contract to ensure the implementation of the exercises in the slated time.
He noted that the intention for registration is not for tax but for preparing for EU markets and planning purposes.
Hoima district senior producer Charlse Kujura said the registration will not only help in traceability, but also in planning for the farmers, reaching for extension services and providing data for the coffee farmers.
The farmers said that the registration is good but called on the Government to engage the EU to relax some of the clauses in the regulation.
Hajji Abas Baganda, a coffee farmer from Hoima district, said limiting farmers to grow coffee or other crops on land which has never been with trees, starting 2020 is not possible adding that these regulations are likely to push many farmers out of the coffee growing business.
“Some people plant trees on their land to prevent it from encroachments. So, if I planted eucalyptus trees on my land for commercial purposes and then after harvesting these trees, you tell me that if I grow coffee or cocoa on this land the produce will not be allowed in the EU market, this regulation is aimed at limiting us from developing,” he said.
He challenged the Government to look for other markets and not only focus on EU markets with restrictions.
He noted that the population is increasing and land is not increasing, adding that because of these challenges people with private forested land are considering clearing this land for cultivation.
Godfrey Bigabwa, a coffee farmer in Masindi district, demanded to know what would happen to the farmers who cleared trees on their land in 2020 and planted coffee.
He said many people clear their land in most cases with trees for cultivation for the production of different crops including coffee.
He noted that such regulation aimed at pushing out farmers of the coffee farming business and urged that this regulation should be imposed on gazetted forests and not privately owned land.
Isiah Bingi, a coffee farmer from Kyabambire sub-county in Hoima, urged the Government to engage the EU to relax the regulation to exclude private land.
He noted that coffee is a source of income for many people in Bunyoro adding that if they impose such a regulation on private landowners, many farmers will have no land to grow coffee.
LEAD PHOTO CAPTION: Mathew Kwikiriza, the western region manager for UCDA sensitising farmers about the regulation. (Photo by Peter Abaanabasazi)
