Kampala — Uganda will start exporting honey to the United Kingdom in October according to a honey expert.

Ms Maria Odido, the chairperson of the Uganda National Apiculture Development Organisation (Tunado), the EU is expected to certified Uganda's honey by October in order to allow exports to start.

"The International Organic Certifiers say that Uganda already conforms to 65 percent but we have not yet gone through the criteria of international control system for traceability. Once we meet this then we shall be able to export," said Odido.

She was speaking at a meeting with the Norwegian delegation interested in importing organic honey from Uganda at the Uganda Export Promotions Board offices on March 18.

She said that the Ministry of Agriculture and the Uganda National Bureau of Standards are working towards forming a Uganda National Honey Standard to conform to the EU requirements.

The certification clearance is to cost $40,000, which has already been donated by the Shell Foundation and the National Agricultural Advisory Services (Naads).

Shell Foundation gave $32,000 and NAADS gave $5000.

The certification will involve classification of honey according to flavour, colour, and taste.

Some of the Companies involved in the production of honey for export include RECO Industries, which is the oldest in the market, Kabarole Bee Association also manufacturers of wine from honey and Bee Natural Products based.

Most of Uganda's honey exports go to the regional market in Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Small quantities are indirectly exported to the UK by RECO.

Ms Ellen D. Gjeruldsen, an import adviser of the Federation of Norwegian Commercial and Service Entreprises (HSH), said that they are interested in the importation of ready products, which are organically certified.

"We urgently need organically certified ready products, which we are going to put in our groceries," she said.

"We need help in the certification of our exporters, honey is naturally grown and other products," said Ms Florence Kata, executive director of Uganda Export Promotions Board.

She warned exporters to be careful of fake certification bodies lest they lose money and face the challenge of balancing between quantity and quality.

"It is no longer about quantity alone but quanlity, double your effort to meet the international standards," Kata said.

A 45-man Norwegian delegation has been in the country looking for investment opportunities.