Summary:
- Bwanika, a member of the Agriculture Committee, explained that during the meeting, the President advocated for the rationalization of the DDA and UCDA, highlighting the need to save money.
KAMPALA: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and Members of Parliament from the Committees on Agriculture, National Economy, and Finance have agreed to proceed with the rationalization of the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) and the Dairy Development Authority (DDA) into the Ministry of Agriculture.
However, the merger of UCDA will be delayed for three years.
The decision was reached during a meeting on Tuesday at State House Entebbe. Following the meeting, several MPs, including Abed Bwanika (Kimaanya-Kabonero) and Basil Bataringaya (Kashari North), briefed journalists on the outcomes.
Bwanika, a member of the Agriculture Committee, explained that during the meeting, the President advocated for the rationalization of the DDA and UCDA, highlighting the need to save money.
However, MPs raised concerns about the Ministry of Agriculture’s ability to manage the mandate of UCDA, which oversees one of Uganda’s most strategic commodities.
“We told the President that the Ministry of Agriculture lacks the capacity to fulfill the mandate of UCDA, particularly in regulating coffee quality a key factor for our international market. UCDA has certified entities that maintain our high standards; disrupting this could harm our reputation, especially as Uganda’s robusta coffee ranks third globally. We cautioned that transferring UCDA’s responsibilities could disrupt the livelihoods of 12.5 million Ugandans,” Bwanika said.
He further argued that the Ministry of Agriculture has a track record of inefficiency, with numerous unimplemented multi-million-dollar loans.
“We cannot simply hand over such a strategic commodity to a Ministry that has yet to demonstrate competence,” he added.
Bwanika revealed that the President agreed with MPs on the need to delay UCDA’s rationalization, proposing a three-year transition period.
However, he noted that the proposal would be subject to further scrutiny in Parliament.
Bataringaya reported that the meeting concluded with the decision to merge the DDA back into the Ministry of Agriculture, a move previously opposed by MPs, while UCDA’s merger would be delayed to allow stakeholders to resolve regulatory issues.
“The Dairy Development Authority will be rationalized and returned to the Ministry. Regarding the UCDA, the President agreed that due to its strategic importance, a three-year period will be allowed to sort out the issues. This will enable stakeholders to decide on the best way to regulate the coffee sector,” Bataringaya explained.
He noted MPs’ fears that the Ministry of Agriculture might lack the capacity developed by UCDA to effectively manage the coffee sector. “Our fear is that the progress made in the sector should not be lost, especially as we work towards achieving the target of 20 million bags in the short term,” he said.
The MPs emphasized that while the law will proceed, the actual implementation of UCDA’s merger will only occur once the necessary measures are in place to integrate its functions within the Ministry of Agriculture.
