Farmers, coffee dealers and nursery operators from the greater Masaka sub region have tasked Parliament to withdraw the proposal to mainstream Uganda Coffee Development Authority-UCDA into the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF).
During a regional stakeholders’ consultation engagement by members of the Buganda Parliamentary Caucus held at Buddu County headquarters in Masaka City, the farmers unanimously opposed government’s proposal to merge the coffee authority with the Ministry of Agriculture.
In April, the Executive presented to Parliament the Rationalization of Government and Public Expenditure-RAPEX bills that sought to revert over 20 agencies to their mother ministries, with a view of stopping wasteful expenditures by avoiding duplication of roles between ministries and autonomous authorities.
However, the coffee farmers in Masaka sub region led by Jude Muleke, the Buddu County Chief; commonly known by the traditional title of Ppokino, tasked parliament to completely remove UCDA from the list of agencies considered for rationalization.
Meanwhile, following a heated controversy in Parliament, last week, President Yoweri Museveni convened a meeting of the NRM parliament caucus that decided to postpone the rationalization of UCDA for three more years, to allow for better organization of the Ministry of Agriculture such that it acquires the necessary capacity to assimilate the coffee authority.
In his formal submission, Ppokino observes that despite the deferment, the players in the coffee production sector are not satisfied with the decision, demanding that the government reconsider its proposal in totality.
He urged the Butambala County MP Mohammad Muwanga Kivumbi who also doubles as Chairperson of the Buganda Parliamentary Caucus to open doors for constructive engagements with government authorities to convince them to rescind the proposal.
He indicates that the proposed rationalization of UCDA into the Ministry will undermine the progress registered in the coffee production chain in terms of quality and quantities, saying the government should instead further empower the authority to execute its roles better.
Sowedi Sserwadda, the Chairperson of Kibinge Coffee Farmers’ Cooperative Society, which operates in Bukomansimbi district, is afraid that the rationalization will weaken the capacity for regulations and enforcement of quality among farmers and handlers in the coffee supply chain.
He observes that the desired growth of the coffee sector requires consistent innovations, which he says requires a fully empowered authority. Sserwadda asked the MPs to engage the government to further build the capacity of UCDA instead of removing it.
Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, the Chairperson of the Buganda Parliament Caucus assured coffee dealers that their views will inform debates in the parliament such that the right decision is eventually taken.
He says they have set out to consult about the proposal and they have fully appreciated the concerns raised, adding that they intend to leverage the caucus’s numerical strength to convince other MPs to reconsider the idea.
However, Aisha Ssekindi, the Woman MP for Kalungu district also the State Minister of Water challenged the caucus leadership to consider organizing stakeholders to generate a formal petition to President Museveni detailing all the concerns such that he can also fully understand the gist of the matter for possible reconsideration.
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