Minister of Agriculture, Vicent Ssempijja.
The Minister of Agriculture, Vincent Bamulangaki Sempijja has threatened to quit his cabinet post if his ministry fails to hit a target of 20 million coffee bag productions by 2020.
Sempijja made the remark while meeting with the board members of the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) which was held at the Coffee house in Kampala on Thursday.
He told the new managing director of UCDA, Dr.Emmanuel Lyamulemye Niyibingira, that they will both have to quit their offices should they not work hard to ensure that coffee production reaches 20 million bags in the next five years.
Sempija said that the country must produce coffee from the existing 3.5 million bags coffee to 20 million bags to increase on the export for the country to generate more revenue and ensuring improved livelihood for the people that will eradicate household poverty.
“There is no reason we cannot hit 20 million bags from our current 3.5 million bags annually. Government is making alot of efforts that will ensure coffee production increases.What has been holding us back is the quality of our coffee on the world market which would sometimes bring disadvantages because of the way farmers were handling the crop.However, with the available laws, that should be sorted so that will handle all the bottlenecks and be able to sustain our markets and hence improve the lives of our people in the rural areas. If i don’t hit my target of 20 million bags exported annually in the next 5 years, i will quit as a minister forever,” Sempijja said amidst laughter from the people attending the meeting.
A woman smiles in a coffee plantation in Central Uganda. Current coffee exports are 3.5 bags million annually and the government now has plans to increase supply to 20 million bags annually in the next 5 years.
He demanded for production of quality coffee on market using available laws, adding that there should be no excuse for lack of new coffee law to compromise the coffee standards.
Lyamulemya, on his part pledged to ensure that the government’s target of 20 million bags production is realized.
He however, noted that extra funds is required for procurement of more coffee seedlings through nursery operators since the available funds can only cater for the coffee seedlings of the current season.