The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (MAAIF), has initiated a nationwide registration of coffee value chain actors to enhance compliance with international standards, particularly for the European Union (EU) market.
The launch, held at the Uganda Media Centre, was led by Frank Tumwebaze, Minister of Agriculture.
The registration is crucial for meeting the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), set to take effect on December 30, 2024.
The regulation will ban commodities linked to deforestation after December 2020 from entering the EU market.
This initiative aims to ensure Uganda's coffee remains competitive globally while promoting environmentally sustainable practices.
Speaking at the event, Tumwebaze emphasised the importance of coffee to Uganda's economy.
"Coffee is one of Uganda's main foreign exchange earners, contributing between 11-22% of our commodity exports over the last 11 years," he said.
The registration process, spearheaded by the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), will use a newly developed Geospatial Monitoring and Evaluation System to track coffee production plots.
The initiative will map farms to meet the traceability standards set by the EU.
"Registration is critical for traceability, ensuring our coffee farms comply with global environmental standards," Tumwebaze explained.
With Europe as the largest destination for Uganda's coffee exports, accounting for 66% of total exports, the stakes are high.
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Tumwebaze noted, "Over 60% of Uganda's coffee is exported to the EU market, and compliance with EUDR is essential for maintaining our market share."
The minister called for collaboration from all stakeholders in the coffee industry to ensure the success of the registration process.
"This registration is vital for our farmers to retain market access and enhance the sustainability of the value chain," he urged.
The process will involve collecting essential information such as the name, farm location, and GPS coordinates of the coffee farms.
Tumwebaze reassured stakeholders that the data collected will be securely managed.
"The UCDA, in partnership with NITA(U), will ensure that all collected data complies with the Data Protection Act during collection and storage."
Tumwebaze appealed to local leaders, farmers, and coffee industry players to support the initiative, emphasizing that it would pave the way for Uganda's continued success in the global coffee market.
"This is a win for all of us. I encourage leaders and stakeholders to mobilize their communities to participate in this vital exercise," he said.
