UCDA takes coffee registration drive to Kamuli ahead of EU regulations deadline

Moses Woira Mitala Kitimbo, Ssabalangira of the Busoga Kingdom, has called on coffee farmers in Kamuli District to actively participate in the ongoing coffee registration exercise.

Speaking at a regional stakeholders’ meeting at Kamuli Youth Centre  Kitimbo, who oversees the kingdom’s counties of Bugabula, Budiope, and Buzaaya, emphasized the benefits of the registration process in improving coffee quality and traceability.

The exercise, led by the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), aims to ensure all coffee farmers are registered, their farms tracked, and their produce monitored for quality assurance and competitiveness in the global market.

Kitimbo assured farmers that the initiative is not linked to taxes, countering widespread rumors.

“This process is for your benefit. The government needs to know you to plan better for you,” he said.

Kitimbo also stressed the importance of harvesting only ripe coffee beans to maintain Uganda’s reputation for high-quality coffee on the international stage. He warned that unripe beans could harm the country’s position in the market, leading to lower prices for farmers.

The meeting, attended by over 400 coffee farmers and representatives from various farmers’ organisations, focused on the significance of the registration exercise ahead of its official launch. Kamuli Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Badru Ssentongo praised the UCDA and the Kamuli Coffee Development Farmers Association for their outreach to local farmers.

He reiterated the need for full farmer participation to address quality concerns and strengthen Uganda’s position in international markets, particularly in the European Union (EU), which is the largest buyer of Ugandan coffee.

UCDA extension officer Michael Baguma highlighted that the EU’s stringent requirements under the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) make registration essential for maintaining access to the European market. Failure to comply within the next four months could result in a 70% loss of market share, he warned.

“The registration process will involve capturing GPS coordinates of every coffee farm to ensure traceability,” explained UCDA facilitator Israel Ssebugenyi.

He emphasized that the exercise, to be conducted by a private company called Pula, is free for all farmers. Ssebugenyi also reassured farmers that the initiative is focused on securing markets and not on taxation.

Concerns were raised by farmers like Zubair Mukaya, from Nangodo, about how accessible the process would be for those in remote areas. Mukaya questioned how GPS tracking would work for farms of varying sizes and locations, and whether registration teams would visit individual farms.

UCDA officials assured him that the process would be accessible and that teams would visit farms to ensure accurate registration.

The meeting drew farmers from across Kamuli District, including those from Kisozi, Namasagali, and surrounding villages.

Discussions highlighted the importance of the registration exercise in ensuring Ugandan coffee remains competitive while promoting sustainable production practices to mitigate climate change.