MUHAMAD MATOVU
The proposed bill by the government to regulate coffee farmers has drawn controversy among Ugandans more especially coffee farmers from central region which is popularly known as the leading coffee growing region.
In an interview with The Nile Post over the weekend one of the prominent coffee growers, the former legislator Makindye East John Simbwa expressed his concern that the bill is a threat to all small coffee farmers.
“It says that anybody found growing coffee without registration will be either imprisoned for two years or he/she will pay fines," he said.
He noted that the bill states that for one to register as a coffee farmer he or she must be a commercial farmer.
"If you are not a commercial farmer you are not going to be registered and if you are not registered you will be imprisoned if you are arrested so Mr president look at that angle," he noted.
He is also skeptical that if the bill is enacted into law the young men who have been engaging into small coffee trade will be kicked out of the business.
“Now the law says anybody who deals in internal marketing of coffee must have a license, must be registered where will these young men who have been trading at that small level in coffee go, where are they going?"he asked.
He noted that the law might have a hidden agenda of kicking out small growers in the business of growing coffee.
"It’s because the law only talks about commercial farming but when it comes to punishments, the law talks about anybody," he said.
