Arrest farmers spoiling our coffee - Museveni

By Abdulkarim Ssengendo and Chris Mugasha

President Yoweri Museveni has directed the Uganda Coffee Development Authority and Uganda National Bureau of Standards to arrest and prosecute people destroying the quality of Uganda’s coffee in Sheema district.

The President’s order came after complaints by coffee farmers that some people were destroying the quality of Uganda’s coffee by buying that which is not dry from the garden and offloading it on to international markets.

Museveni, who was in Sheema district on Thursday to celebrate the International Cooperative Day, described the act as unacceptable. “Farmers in such an act, including those drying coffee on bare ground or on soil, should be arrested,” he said.

The celebrations, under the theme Co-operative Enterprise build a better World, was held at Kabwohe playground in Kabwohe town.

He explained that coffee is hydroscopic and its quality would be destroyed if it is dried on bare ground.

“That must be stopped. Anybody who does this must be prosecuted,” Museveni said.

He asked trade minister Amelia Kyambadde to take up the matter and check whether the legislation allows for prosecution.

He promised to address the problem of high withholding tax that Uganda Revenue Authority imposed on cooperatives.

Museveni also directed the district medical officer to sensitise people on good nutrition.

He was responding to a concern raised by the district Woman MP, Rosemary Nyakikongoro, that Sheema tops the country in having the highest number of stunted children.

The President promised to give farmers disease-resistant banana plants to curb banana bacteria wilt, which had spread in the south-western region.

Minister for Trade and Industry Amelia Kyambadde said Uganda had the best cooperative movement in the world, with about 5055 registered savings and credit cooperative societies.

Kyambadde appealed to religiousleaders to sensitise the public on the benefits of joining cooperatives.

She said cooperatives hadcreated 10,000 jobs to people at sub-county level. She added that the Government was committed to improving the standards of cooperatives, right from people’s gardens.

However, Kyambadde said they were understaffed, with only 15 staff at ministerial level and also have another challenge of interference by some leaders in the SACCOS.

She said Sheema was chosen to host the event because it was the best region in the country with successful cooperatives.

According to Sheema district chairman, Pascal Mugisha, the district has 56 cooperatives, including three dealing in cattle keeping. He added that cooperatives had 39,000 members, sh4.1b worth of share capital, sh7.3b savings and sh1.4b worth of assets.