By Paul Watala
Bugisu Co-operative Union (BCU) members have been urged to embrace the ongoing registration of coffee farmers by the Government.
The call was made on Friday by the union’s vice-chairperson, John Musila while addressing BCU and Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) board members in Mbale city.
The UCDA team was in Bugisu sub-region on a coffee value chain monitoring and evaluation exercise.
The team, which was led by Dr Charles Mugoya, the chairperson board of directors, spent three days visiting coffee farmers, buyers and other value chain stakeholders.
Speaking during a regional stakeholders engagement at the BCU boardroom in Mbale city, Musila said the registration drive is aimed at ensuring all coffee farmers in the country are registered and their produce tracked to boost quality and competitiveness.
He dismissed rumours that the registration exercise is linked to future taxation, assuring farmers that the process is designed to benefit them.
“You cannot fight fake farm inputs and middlemen without knowing the number of active farmers,” Musila said.
Quality of coffee
Musila also warned farmers against harvesting raw beans, which compromises the quality of Ugandan coffee.
He emphasised the importance and need of maintaining high-quality coffee beans to ensure that farmers receive better prices.
Musila appealed to UCDA to sensitise farmers about the importance of the forthcoming registration exercise. BCU has about 300 primary coffee growers and co-operative societies owned by coffee farmers.
Barbara Wasagali, the BCU general manager, commended UCDA and BCU for their efforts in engaging local farmers.
Wasagali emphasised the need for farmers to get involved in the registration process, which will address quality concerns and help Uganda dominate the international market.
Michael Baguma, the UCDA extension worker for Kamuli and Buyende districts, said the meeting sought to sensitise farmers about the benefits of registration, which is crucial for maintaining access to the European Union (EU) market.
EU is the largest consumer of Ugandan coffee. Mugoya noted that the registration process will be free for farmers, adding that will involve capturing GPS locations of every farm and providing farmers with unique codes to ensure traceability.
He warned farmers that Uganda had less than four months to comply with the regulations, noting that failure would result in losing 70% of the market share and a drastic fall in prices.
Mugoya said the registration exercise would be conducted by a private company, Pula, on behalf of UCDA.
Remote areas
Charles Nangayi, a coffee farmer in Buginyanya sub-county, Bulambuli district, expressed worry about the registration process in remote areas.
“I am interested in registering my coffee farm, but I am not sure how this process will work for me. Will the registration team come to my farm or home, do I need to go to them? And how will they ensure that my farm is accurately tracked in hard-to-reach areas?” Nangayi wondered.
However, leaders noted that the registration process would be accessible and free.
