Government will register all coffee farmers across the country
MPs on Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries have unanimously agreed to adopt President Yoweri Museveni’s recommendations in the National Coffee Bill 2018.
This is after the President recently returned the National Coffee Bill, 2018 to Parliament to review some clauses.
The National Coffee Bill, 2018 had bbeen passed by Parliament sitting on Wednesday 5 August 2020. The Bill aims to repealsand replace the Uganda Coffee Development Authority Act, Cap. 325, which was enacted in 1991 and only covered off-farm activities of marketing and processing, leaving on-farm activities like planting materials, nurseries, harvesting and post harvesting handling outside the scope of the law.
However, the President returned the Bill to parliament to review clause 14 of the Bill regarding the appointment of the Board of Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), the appointment of the Board chairperson and Director of the authority.
Chaired by Abim District Woman MP, Janet Okori-Moe, the Agriculture Committee has been reviewing the National Coffee Bill which President Museveni declined to assent to and asked parliament to evaluate several provisions in the proposed law.
Appearing before the Committee, Agriculture Minister, Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja said the Board Chair of the Authority shall be appointed by the cabinet from the list of names submitted by the Minister.
State Minister for Animal Hubandary, Bright Rwamirama said that the appointed Board will supervise what is being done within the Authority, adding that most of the clauses were agreed on by the Parliament.
However the Committee Chairperson Okori-Moe said thar the committee agreed that the managing director of the Authority shall be appointed by the Board on terms and conditions specified in the instrument of appointment.
Clause 26 of the Bill giuves UCDA powers to register all coffee farmers in the country.
The registration will entail capturing details of the size of land, number of coffee trees, particulars of a farmer, coffee buyers, sellers and nursery bed operators.
If passed into law, the law will help in comprehensive planning for coffee farmers when it comes to linking buyers and farmers, setting up irrigation systems, provision of planting materials and extension services.
