Kampala, (UG):- President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has officially signed the National Coffee (Amendment) Bill, 2024 into law, the Presidential Press Unit (PPU) announced Monday, December 23, 2024. The bill now law seals the fate of Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) which Parliament in November approved for rationalization, among other provisions.
According to the statement, the President assented to the bill on December 20, 2024, marking a significant milestone in the legislative framework governing Uganda’s coffee sector.
Parliament passed the Bill on November 6, 2024, amid chaos after a month of verbal exchanges between the proponents led by Mr Museveni and the opposing side. The passing of the Bill left some legislators hospitalised and the media blocked from covering the proceedings on the floor of Parliament.
The amended law is expected to bring transformative changes to the industry, which remains one of the country’s leading foreign exchange-earners. This means the activities of UCDA will return to the Ministry of Agriculture.
UCDA has been the lead agency in driving coffee production and trade, including regulating all on-farm and off-farm activities in the coffee value chain, promoting and overseeing the quality of coffee along the value chain, supporting research and development, promoting production and improving the marketing of coffee to optimise earnings for coffee stakeholders in the country.
Scholars in agreement with the law anticipate that the provisions of the coffee bill will strengthen coffee production, quality control, and international market competitiveness. The bill is also expected to pivotal role in overseeing coffee quality to ensure compliance with export contracts and international food safety standards.
The development also underscores the government’s commitment to enhancing the livelihoods of coffee farmers and solidifying Uganda’s position as a top global coffee exporter.
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