Ministry to register vanilla growers and processors

PIC: Agriculture minister Ssempijja (2nd from left) took questions during the meeting. (Credit: Julius Luwemba)

AGRIBUSINESS | VANILLA

As a way of regulating vanilla production, the ministry of agriculture has moved to have all vanilla growers, processors and exporters registered and supervised.

This was revealed during a meeting with vanilla stakeholders at the ministry headquarters in Entebbe on Monday, where all participants agreed on a number of policies to be implemented.

The meeting chaired by agriculture minister Vincent Ssempijja, pointed at theft, harvest of unready vanilla, among others, as the key challenges affecting vanilla production in Uganda.

Aga Sekalaala Sr, the chairperson of Uganda Vanilla Growers and Exporters' Association, said registration and monitoring of vanilla growers will help reduce vices.

"If someone steals your vanilla when they're not registered, they'll have nowhere to sell it hence we will have reduced on theft," said Sekalaala.

Speaking to New Vision on the sidelines of the meeting, minister Sempijja underlined the need to register and monitor vanilla growers, saying this will open up large markets for Uganda's vanilla as it will ensure quality production of the crop.

"Vanilla prices had dropped due to the poor quality as a result of harvesting unready crops but today a kilogram of vanilla is bought at sh250,000," he said.

He added that vanilla farmers will be registered and numbered such that before any harvest is carried out, samples will first be taken for testing to ascertain the maturity and quality of the crop.

On the part of processors and exporters, the minister promised to come up with a statutory instrument that will see the players go through a proper and comprehensive process before being certified, as districts come up with bylaws in regard to vanilla production.

"On the issue of theft, the president [Yower Museveni] instructed the IGP [Gen Kale Kayihura] and now we are very assured of security from the lower level up to the final market."

The minister promised to strengthen inspection at the export border points of Malaba [with Kenya] and Entebbe airport which are the known routes for exportation of the vanilla crop.