Workers sort coffee beans at National Union of Coffee Agribusiness and
Farm Enterprises in Kampala. The Minister of Agriculture, Animal
Industry and Fisheries, Mr Vincent B. Ssempijja, formally presented the
National Coffee Bill to the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture,
Animal Industry and Fisheries early this month. Photo by Rachel Mabala
What is the objective of the National Coffee Bill 2018?
The purpose of the National Coffee Bill 2018 is to reform the current law to provide for Uganda Coffee Development Authority to oversee and regulate all on-farm and off-farm activities along the coffee value chain.
The purpose of the National Coffee Bill 2018 is to reform the current law to provide for Uganda Coffee Development Authority to oversee and regulate all on-farm and off-farm activities along the coffee value chain.
Is there need to replace the current law?
Yes there is. The proposed Bill seeks to address new developments, advances and challenges that have emerged in coffee research and extension services, farmer organisations and climate change. The Uganda Coffee Development Authority Act, Cap. 325, enacted 28 years ago, does not meet the current needs and long-term goals of government.
Yes there is. The proposed Bill seeks to address new developments, advances and challenges that have emerged in coffee research and extension services, farmer organisations and climate change. The Uganda Coffee Development Authority Act, Cap. 325, enacted 28 years ago, does not meet the current needs and long-term goals of government.
How is the Bill proposing to deal with gaps in the current law?
The National Coffee Bill proposes to address the gaps identified in the current law by defining the roles of different stakeholders in the coffee value chain. This includes the role of the minister responsible for the coffee sub-sector, regulating the coffee value chain starting with the on-farm activities, which include generation of planting materials, soil management, irrigation, pest and disease management and harvesting to off-farm activities including drying, sorting, primary processing and tertiary processing.
The National Coffee Bill proposes to address the gaps identified in the current law by defining the roles of different stakeholders in the coffee value chain. This includes the role of the minister responsible for the coffee sub-sector, regulating the coffee value chain starting with the on-farm activities, which include generation of planting materials, soil management, irrigation, pest and disease management and harvesting to off-farm activities including drying, sorting, primary processing and tertiary processing.
The new Bill seeks
to introduce a voluntary coffee auction system to offer an alternative
method of selling coffee. This should bring efficiency in the sub-sector
resulting from increased competition. The Bill will empower UCDA to
provide coffee extension services beyond agronomic practices and
constitute a national coffee farmers register.
The
Bill also seeks to enhance fees and penalties to encourage compliance.
The current statute does not have punitive clauses to penalise culprits
that contravened aspects of the provisions.
In what way is this Bill different from the current law?
The current law only covers off-farm activities of marketing and processing, leaving on-farm activities like generating planting materials, harvesting, and post-harvesting handling (including drying of coffee) and coffee extension services outside the scope of the law. As a result, the sub-sector cannot perform to its maximum or expected capacity.
The current law only covers off-farm activities of marketing and processing, leaving on-farm activities like generating planting materials, harvesting, and post-harvesting handling (including drying of coffee) and coffee extension services outside the scope of the law. As a result, the sub-sector cannot perform to its maximum or expected capacity.
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