Following the Rationalization of government Agencies and Expenditure (RAPEX), the functions of the Cotton Development Organization (CDO), Dairy Development Authority (DDA), National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) and Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) were transferred to the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF). Subsequently, to ensure uninterrupted operations, particularly the critical functions such as extension services and export processes, MAAIF has continued to employ the technical staff of these agencies.
The government is focused on supporting the future of Uganda’s agriculture and specifically to improving export revenue from its products, including coffee and urges all stakeholders to remain committed to best practices that facilitate this.
This is why the Ministry is deeply concerned about reports that some people are harvesting premature coffee in some parts of the country, and drying Fair Average Quality (FAQ) coffee in a poor way. These poor post-harvest practices may lead to significant losses by reducing the value of Ugandan Coffee exports. The public is hereby informed that all the mechanisms, including enforcement, that existed prior to the rationalization of the UCDA into MAAIF remain in full effect. All coffee value chain actors must comply with all the mechanisms that existed under UCDA to avoid penalties. The Ministry will use robust means to ensure that Uganda’s good export position is protected.
It is worth noting that coffee exports are proceeding smoothly. In December 2024, Uganda exported 413,221 60 kg bags of coffee, valued at USD 115.02 million, to various international markets, including Italy, Germany, USA, China, India, Algeria, and Morocco. This represents an increase in both volume and value compared to the exports of November 2024, which amounted to 400,536 60 kg bags valued at US$ 108.91 million. These export figures underscore our commitment to ensuring that nothing compromises the resilience of our trade in agriculture.
The Ministry urges anyone with information regarding poor agronomic and harvesting practices along the coffee value chain to immediately report it to the Assistant Commissioner Coffee Production on 0312 260470 for appropriate action to safeguard our export market development and positioning.
