Stakeholders say delayed national organic agriculture bill may affect Uganda's export leverage

The government was able to pass the Organic Agriculture Policy in 2019 but has remained redundant due to the delay of the bill.

Speaking at a stakeholder consultative meeting, Alex Lwakuba, the commissioner of crop production, Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), said the current policy was the first step in the legislative process for effective implementation of the required bill.

According to Lwakuba, the delay in passing the bill may foster retrogress of the organic subsector due to the continued absence of the standards, values, and norms concerning the specific organic agriculture actors, which the bill is supposed to influence and enforce.

Charlton Namuwoza, the CEO National Organic Agricultural Movement of Uganda (NOGAMU), said Organic Agriculture is a sure avenue to ensure sustainable development in Uganda due to the growth of global demand which continues to create enormous market opportunities for smallholder organic farmers and SME companies.

State of Uganda's performance on the global market

As of 2023, the global organic market exceeds Euro 125 Billion according to FIBI.

Namuwoza noted that Uganda is increasingly receiving recognition as a major player in the organic export market and this gives the country an advantage to reap from the ever-growing consumer demand.

He added that with increasing awareness about health and food safety, the local market for organic products is also growing steadily.

Uganda currently has the second-highest number of certified organic produce after India.

The most traded items include beverages such as coffee, cocoa, sesame, chia seed, frozen fruit pulp, fresh/dried fruits such as pineapple, apple banana, mango, papaya, jack fruit, and passion fruit, spices such as vanilla, chilli, ginger, cardamom, black pepper, herbs, essential oils, and shea butter/nuts.

Boosting organic perfromance

He further said that the bill will facilitate better implementation by aiding the development of a popular version of the policy that will be translated into different languages for stakeholders to quickly grasp its contents.

The 3rd Deputy Prime Minister, Rukia Nakadama, who was officiating the meeting assured stakeholders and Organic actors that government will support the bill.