As Uganda pushes to strengthen its position in the international coffee market, the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) has introduced a farmer registration exercise in Masaka district.
The initiative aims to register and issue location identification numbers to all coffee farmers, a move UCDA believes is critical for creating a comprehensive database and maintaining market access.
However, this rollout has been met with scepticism from key stakeholders in the district.
Many farmers and local leaders in Masaka have voiced concerns about the exercise, questioning its true intentions and whether it will complicate their farming activities.
While UCDA insists that the registration will help trace the coffee supply chain, improve quality control, and address environmental and human rights issues, some farmers worry about increased bureaucracy and the possible exclusion of smallholders who may not easily comply with the new system.
Local coffee farmers in Masaka are raising concerns, worried that the new registration exercise could create more problems instead of solving the ones they already face.
Teopista Nakiboneka, Secretary of the Budda Parish Coffee Farmers’ Association, shared that many farmers are hesitant to sign up, as they’ve been struggling for years with issues like expensive counterfeit farming supplies and stubborn pests and diseases, without much help from the government.
Nakiboneka questioned why the government is focusing on registering farmers when these ongoing problems haven’t been addressed.
She urged the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) to educate farmers on the benefits of registration and commit to solving these challenges before expecting farmers to share their information.
Sayidi Kizito, a coffee farmer from Kidda parish, agrees, suggesting that UCDA should offer incentives like free fertilizers and pesticides to farmers who register. He believes this would encourage more farmers to participate.
Similarly, Jimmy Sande, from Kyankole Village, said the registration should be done through local cooperative societies that farmers trust, rather than unfamiliar teams that might intimidate them.
In response, Dr. Gerald Kyalo, UCDA’s Director for Development Services, reassured farmers that the registration is crucial for keeping Uganda’s coffee in international markets.
He also mentioned that UCDA is working with local leaders to clear up any misunderstandings and prepare farmers ahead of the European Union’s compliance deadline on December 30th.
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