Stakeholders in Uganda’s agriculture value chain have asked the government to foot the Organic Agriculture Policy with the formulation and passing of the National Organic Agriculture Bill. They say the policy needs to be curated for different regions to uphold the standards of Uganda's organic exports.
The government was able to pass the Organic Agriculture Policy in 2019, but has remained redundant due to the delay of the bill. 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.
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. 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.
Source: pulse.ug