Wake up and smell the coffee, farmers tell Parliament

However, a section of lawmakers from coffee growing areas claim that the ministry does not have the capacity and ability to take on the roles and functions of the Authority. The bill aims to implement the RAPEX policy (Rationalization of Government Agencies and Government Expenditures).

Mr. Zakayo Vvaali, a retired and prominent coffee farmer in Jjongoza village, Kalisizo in Kyotera District, said the move to rationalize UCDA will not only affect farmers but also the country’s foreign exchange earnings, as coffee has been a major foreign earner.

According to Mr Vvaali, unlike other government agencies that have been rationalized, UCDA has a good track record and has been successful in achieving all its objectives.

“Thanks to UCDA, farmers have started drying their harvested coffee beans on tarpaulins, which has improved the quality of exported coffee; I wonder why it has been rationalized,” he said during an interview yesterday.

Mr Abdallah Twaha Matovu, a coffee exporter and Chairman of Makukulu Coffee Farmers Cooperative Society Ltd in Bukomansimbi District, has described the rationalization of UCDA as a deliberate attempt by the government to economically weaken coffee farmers in Buganda, Bugisu and Rwenzori sub-regions. benefited greatly from the harvest.

According to Mr Matovu, after rationalizing UCDA, it will be easier for the government to monopolize coffee exports as is the case with vanilla and fish.

“Eventually, the UCDA, which has enabled many exporters to do business, will be deregistered and a single exporter will emerge, which is likely to serve the interests of the government,” he said.

Mr Ronald Musoke, one of the prominent coffee farmers in Lwankoni Sub-county, Kyotera District, said it is disturbing to hear that the government is tampering with an entity that has proven its ability to manage coffee problems.

“When it comes to combating wasteful spending, they must first combat corruption and reduce the offices of elected leaders. But they want to kill (UCDA), which generates its own money and also contributes immensely to the National Treasury,” he said.

He added that he fears these changes could affect the market for the currently profitable crop.

Mr Gerald Ssendawula, former Minister of Finance and major coffee farmer, said given the cash crop’s special position in Uganda’s foreign exchange earnings, it deserves a special body like UCDA to take charge of its production and marketing.

“If it falls under the Ministry of Agriculture, there may be delays in decision-making because the ministry still has to regulate many other agricultural activities. Some international coffee meetings and decisions require immediate attention and responses and there should be no unnecessary delays,” he said.

Mr David Ntale, a coffee farmer and resident of Kiwangala in Kisekka Sub-county, Lwengo District, said UCDA has ensured quality assurance throughout the coffee production chain system by preventing the harvesting of green berries and drying coffee beans on bare ground where they become mixed. with foreign objects such as stones and animal feces.

“I think the government should first focus on building the capacity of agricultural officials in local governments so that they can expand their services to farmers, as UCDA has done; Maybe after that they can think about rationalizing the Authority,” he said.

Mr Nathan Nandala Mafabi, Chairman of Bugisu Cooperative Union and coffee farmer, said despite the current well-intentioned policy of rationalizing entities in a bid to save taxpayers money, there is a need to save UCDA.

He said coffee is one of the most valued commodities after oil.

“It has long been one of the biggest export earners in this country. And the importance of coffee is not just a recent development, it is historically the fact that it was the coffee growing communities of Buganda and Bugisu that guaranteed Uganda’s independence,” Mr Mafabi said.

“Buganda contributed $500,000 (about Shs1.8 billion) while Bugisu contributed $300,000 (about Shs1.1 billion) to convince the British that Ugandans were capable of mobilizing their own resources to govern the country” , he added.

He said coffee exports earned the country $1.14 billion (about $4.23 trillion) between July 2023 and June 2024.

“The coffee industry employs approximately 12 million people. It is therefore a product that needs special attention,” he said.

Mr Nandala, who is also MP for Budadiri West and Secretary General of the Forum for Democratic Change, added that coffee is not just a crop but a drink.

“Actually, the US uses coffee as a drink and as a medicine. And so this drink needs special attention from planting, weeding, harvesting and processing until it reaches the cup as a drink,” he said.

“UCDA has done this meticulously. I doubt whether Maaif (Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries) has the capacity to fulfill this oversight role,” he added, equating UCDA with the Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Uganda (ICPAU) and Uganda Law Society (ULS).

“These entities regulate and enforce standards in those bodies and they survive on the fees from the organizations. If the government does not have money to pay the employees of UCDA, we can make UCDA a semi-autonomous organization like the Uganda Law Society,” said Mafabi.

Mr Steven Masiga, a coffee farmer and spokesperson for the Bamasaba Cultural Institution, said like Bamasaba and the farmers, there is a need for adequate legislative sensitization on the implications and benefits of the bill.

“Parliament should take a break and involve coffee farmers and consumers in the dissolution of UCDA,” he said.

Mr Simon Kwikiriza, Head of Household and Community Transformation in Ankole Diocese, said: “I am 100 percent against bringing UCDA into the ministry. Maaif has failed in the field of tea, ranches, farm schools and many others. What reason do they have that they should get another parastatal? he wondered.

“UCDA has performed exceptionally well and what reason do they give for dissolving it? unless they are the ones who have personal interests in this,” he added.

Mr Charles Ssebyala, a coffee farmer and resident of Luweero Municipal Council, said: “We know that farmers are now aware of coffee standards because of the dedicated sensitization by UCDA. UCDA was visible on the site and was in direct contact with the farmer. Our fear is that we will lose sight of the coffee standards that UCDA has achieved.”

Ms Ketra Nakalungi, a coffee farmer and resident of Genda Village, Butuntumula Sub-county, Luweero District, said she is concerned about the government’s ability to monitor coffee standards in the absence of an independent agency with direct links to the farmers.

“We should be talking about the government boosting the UCDA with more staff to help coffee farmers, and not disbanding the organization. I appeal to our leaders to think about coffee standards before dissolving the UCDA,” she said.

However, Michael J. Ssali, a veteran journalist and coffee farmer in Lwengo district, said farmers should not worry about the rationalization of UCDA.

“We grew up seeing our parents growing coffee and making good money and this was before independence but there was no UCDA,” he said.

“Our focus as farmers should be on the production of the crop and adhering to the coffee regulations and guidelines set by the Ministry of Agriculture. The value of the coffee crop in the international market remains high and our concern must be to maintain profitability,” he added.

Mr Esau Barigye, a coffee farmer in Kashumba sub-county, Isingiro district, said: “We don’t know what that bill and the merger are about. We trust that the government and leaders have good intentions. We cannot oppose or support what we do not know.”

Mr Sowedi Sserwadda, Chairman of Kibinge Coffee Cooperative Society Limited in Bukomansimbi District, said UCDA has done tremendous work in enforcing coffee regulations, which has resulted in higher prices for the crop across the board.

“It is common knowledge that when the functions of UCDA are transferred to the parent ministry, it will affect coffee production and quality because the ministry has a lot to deal with,” he added.

Tempers flared last Thursday as Parliament postponed for the second time the debate and final processing of the controversial National Coffee Amendment Bill, 2024, which aims to return the UCDA to the Ministry of Agriculture.

This has not gone down well with lawmakers from coffee growing areas such as Bugisu and Buganda, who are strongly against the plan. When several lawmakers disapproved of the results of the voice vote, Speaker Anita Among was forced to call for a vote on the number of heads, following Rule 101 of the Rules of Procedure. A total of 77 voted against the bill, while 159 supported it. The speaker adjourned the session indefinitely.

With more and more people moving into production, the Coffee Roadmap’s target of producing 20 million 60kg bags by 2030 is likely to be achieved much sooner.

The bill is already at the committee stage, where every clause and possible amendments will be discussed. After the committee stage, it will move to the third reading, which will give lawmakers the last chance to debate its contents before it is adopted. After decades of total state control over the sector, the coffee industry was fully liberalized between 1991 and 1992 and is currently completely privately owned.

However, export quality control remains the responsibility of UCDA, which assesses and classifies all export shipments. Uganda is said to have produced many more bags of coffee in the first season of this year than the 6.3 million produced in 2023, earning the country $1.25 billion.

As farmers pay more attention to the harvest and more people venture into coffee production and convert previously fallow lands into plantations, UCDA predicts that the country could produce more coffee and earn much more money in foreign currency than the year before.

*Compiled by Al –Mahdi Ssenkabirwa, Fred Wambede, Michael J Ssali, Hanifah Nanyanzi, Richard Kyanjo, Dan Wandera, Antonio Kalyango, Rajab Mukombozi & Felix Ainebyoona