Uganda’s coffee exports to the European Union (EU) will remain unaffected by the December 2024 deadline set by the EU Deforestation-free Regulation (EUDR), according to Henry Musasizi, the Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development (General Duties).
On December 5, 2022, the EU enacted the EUDR, which mandates that coffee, cocoa, and other agricultural products exported to the EU must come from land that has not been deforested since December 31, 2020.
During a meeting with the Committee on Agriculture, Musasizi announced that the Ministry of Finance plans to allocate Shs13.9 billion by October 20, 2024, to the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) for the certification of coffee products, ensuring they meet the deforestation-free criteria.
The committee convened on October 8, 2024, to discuss a petition submitted to Parliament by SEATINI-Uganda, a non-governmental organization, which raised concerns about Uganda’s preparedness to comply with the EUDR policy.
“There should not be any worry; this money will be released at a go so that the activity is done by the December deadline. I assure you that we are putting in place all the necessary steps as a country to comply with the regulation,” he said.
The minister added that at the start of the 2024/2025 financial year, UCDA engaged with the agri-business initiative development which received Shs16 billion to establish the EUDR Coordination Unit.
“The funds have been made available to the private sector to kick start the establishment of the EUDR Coordination Unit by Café Africa which will carry out partial awareness activities and registration of 900,000 coffee farming households,” Musasizi said.
Musasizi’s reassurance followed concerns from lawmakers who underscored the urgency of the matter saying that failure to beat the deadline would affect Uganda’s earnings from the coffee exports.
On average, according to the minister, Uganda earns an estimated US$500 million dollars annually in coffee exports to the EU.
Deputy Chairperson of the committee, Hon. Hope Nakazibwe urged the minister to make-good on his pledge to release the funds to UCDA.
“We are remaining with barely three months remaining so we have to work hard to ensure that the release is tangible,” she said.
Buvuma Islands County representative, Hon. Robert Migadde said that by now, UCDA should have started implementation of the policy.
“This is our number one export commodity and if we are to tag this to the target of December, we are really far back,” Migadde said.
Nyongore Enock (NRM, Nakaseke North County) urged the government to take implementation of the EUDR seriously, saying that the EU’s position can easily spill over to other countries.
The EUDR mandates that exporters must provide specific documentation for supply chain commodities including detailed land use, proof of compliance of local production legislation and due diligence statements for the entire supply chain.
