The opposition party the Democratic Party (DP) has joined other Ugandans opposing the Rationalization of Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) into Ministry of Agriculture.
This follows the President Museveni’s statement during the 5th presidential CEO forum at Serena Hotel that with or without UCDA coffee in Uganda can maintain its Market so its Merger with the mother ministry will not in any way affect coffee production in Uganda.
Now while addressing journalists at the party political command offices at Balintuma Road Mengo Fred Mukasa Mbidde, the Party National Vice president said that it will be a bad move for the government to transfer UCDA to the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries-MAAIF yet as an independent body it has been doing a lot of good things for coffee production which DP thinks will not be fulfilled if merged with MAAIF.
Mbidde adds that unless there is a hidden motive UCDA should remain a separate agency for coffee production to remain beneficial to the coffee farmers and the country at large.
He called upon Ugandans mostly coffee farmers to stand strong and oppose these plans.
The merger of UCDA to MAAIF has been the talk of the day for the last two weeks with the last meeting between President Museveni and the NRM Parliamentary caucus on 6th September 2024, agreed to delay the rationalization of the government agencies more so UCDA until after three years from now.
Recently Members of the Buganda Caucus led by their chairperson Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi who is also Butambala Member of Parliament vowed to traverse the region reminding coffee dealers that the move by the government to insist on merging UCDA with MAAIF is taken in the spirit against the development of peasant Ugandan.
According to the figures from the Uganda Coffee Development Authority UCDA, Uganda’s coffee exports have risen significantly hitting 6.13 million bags that fetched the National Treasury US$ 1.14 billion for the period of twelve months (July 2023-June 2024).
By Charles Katabalwa
17th Sept 2024
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