UNREGISTERED COFFEE FARMERS TO FACE LAW

todayJune 6, 2023


By Sabir Musa

Section 57 of the National Coffee Act, 2021 makes it illegal for any person, who operates unregistered coffee nursery or coffee seed garden. This according to the Act is to help in development of a competitive, participatory and sustainable coffee subsector.

An official of Legal Directorate at Uganda Coffee Development Authority, Francis Niwagaba describes this law as a tool that will improve quality of coffee production and guide farmers. “The issue is, how the law helps us transform the coffee sector, to put more money in farmer’s pocket, support someone who wants to start processing. That is why we are talking about gaps in the previous coffee law” Niwagaba stated.

An electronic database will be generated to register all coffee farmers in line with section 26 and 27 of the Act where details including farmers’ address, district, land size and variety or type of coffee grown are captured to help in provision of services through farmer groups.

Uganda Coffee Development Authority Regional Technical Officer for Northern Uganda, Andama Otubo says, the registration will make is easy for planning. “We want to know the number of farmers for planning purpose. We have been distributing fertilizer, coffee seedlings and chemicals but without knowing how many farmers are there. So this law will allow us register all the coffee farmers to plan accordingly” he explained.

A member of Aliomuke Farmers Group in Arua District, Nola Okudeyo who has grown coffee for 25 years welcomes the move to register farmers which she says, “it is good because a farmer will be well known” to receive necessary support adequately.


Arua District Cordinator for Operation Wealth Creation, Maj. Emmanuel Andrua speaking at the sensitisation meeting

The Coordinator Operation Wealth Creation in Arua District, Major Emmanuel Andrua advised farmers to give time for their plants to register good quality.
Other offences described in the National Coffee Act include selling or distributing substandard planting materials and harvesting immature cherries or strips of a coffee tree.

The law also makes it illegal for any person to set up a store or warehouse that does not meet the requirements for storing coffee. Any person committing any of the offences is liable on conviction, to a fine not exceeding one hundred currency points or a term of imprisonment not exceeding 4 year, or both.

COVER PHOTO: Coffee Farmers in Arua District atttending a sensitisation meeting on the National Coffee Act, 2021  By Sabir Musa


Share this article

Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on Facebook
Contacts

APPS & STREAMING