Decrease in Coffee Exports: UCDA Resumes Countrywide Sensitisations on NCA and Value Addition

 

The Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) has resumed its countrywide sensitisations for the coffee stakeholders about the National Coffee Act (NCA), 2021 assented by the President last year.

This comes after the country registered a decrease in coffee exports CY 2021/2022 as compared to the previous CY 2020/2021.

Coffee exports for 12 months (CY 2021/2022) totalled 5.85 million bags worth US$ 876.43 million compared to 6.50 million bags worth US$ 630.01 million the previous year (CY 2020/2021). This represented a 10% in quantity but an increase of 39% in value.

This came as a shortcoming for the coffee sector because NCA was introduced to promote and oversee the Coffee sub-sector, provide for the Authority to regulate all on-farm and off-farm activities in the coffee value chain.

This has been seen by many as the lack of knowledge about the NCA by the Local coffee farmers deep in different districts of the country.

UCDA has been prompted to start national wide sensitization to coffee farmers about the NCA.

As Mike Maliro, the UCDA regional manager, Eastern said on 19^th/10/2022 while in Iganga, Busoga region, “The biggest challenge in Busoga is poor coffee quality. Farmers harvest green cherries and the

Out-turn after hulling is less than 50%, the lowest in the country.”

“These are some of the problems affecting most regions of the country but with these sensitizations, we may have an increase in quantity and Value in the next coffee year,’’ Maliro continued.

Some of the provisions of the National Coffee Act, 2021 that will help improve quality and value include; making it illegal  to operate a pulpery or coffer huller, buy coffee, grade coffee, roast coffee, process or export commercially without a license, paying annual license fees which will ensure maintenance of quality.

According to UCDA, this move is going to help put money into a farmer’s pocket, support job creation, value addition and enable the world enjoy the best coffee.