By URN
The Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) has revealed that it’s not certain of achieving the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) deadline citing insufficient funding.
In 2022 the EU Parliament approved the new regulation for deforestation-free products to ensure free deforestation products in the supply chain after assessing that the EU contributes to over 50% of local deforestation because the products entering their countries come from cutting down trees.
Gerald Kyalo from the Uganda Coffee Development Authority while speaking at the stakeholders meeting organized by SEATINI highlighted that after the issuance of the directive, exporters of coffee must submit documentation including a detailed land use map to confirm that the coffee they are selling to the EU is deforestation-free.
Exporters and importers must also comply with the local environmental legislation and attach a due diligence certificate indicating the names of farmers not linked to deforestation.
Kyalo said that in a bid to ensure the traceability of the farmers, UCDA will register all coffee farmers in the country and form a national coffee farmers register as per the authority mandate.
He also said that UCDA developed a budget to sensitize sector players, register farmers, and a GPS map of farmers’ coffee gardens but was only challenged by insufficient government funding to carry out the work to meet the deadline.
According to Kyalo, they are seeking 36 billion shillings to carry out the national traceability system and registration of farmers but the government has so far managed to allocate them only 13 billion Shillings which is not fully sufficient. He added that they have resorted to mobilization from the private sector to ensure compliance with EUDR.
Benjamin Mizimbo a coffee farmer from Kiboga wants the regulation to be considered and also the EU should extend the deadline so that all farmers in the country can be registered and the traceability system to be put into play.
Christine Kaaya Nakimwero, the Woman Member of Parliament Kiboga appealed to UCDA to look out for markets other than the European Union market so that all coffee farmers could benefit.
Hebert Kafeero, the Programs and Communications Manager at SEATINI underscored the need to bring together stakeholders in the coffee value chain members to share their experiences and concerns to shape how the government should organize the coffee sector and also be able to meet the EU deadline.
He said that there is a limited value addition to Uganda’s coffee hence farmers lose out on the revenue because a lot of value is downstream where there is processing and other factors.
The directive entered into force in June 2023 not to buy Ugandan coffee, Cocoa, and Timber coming from deforested land.
