Uganda accelerates coffee farmer registration to meet EU deforestation regulation compliance
Uganda targets full compliance with EU coffee traceability rules by August 2025 to protect its crucial export market.
UGANDA – Uganda is ramping up efforts to register its coffee farmers as part of a national push to comply with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), aiming to preserve access to the EU market, which accounts for 60% of the country’s coffee exports.
As of April 2025, approximately 812,000 coffee farmers—around 30% of the estimated 3 million nationwide—have been registered.
The registration process involves capturing the geo-location of farms and collecting farmer information to establish a traceable supply chain. For farms over 10 acres, detailed polygons are recorded, while smaller farms are mapped using geographic coordinates.
To support this initiative, the Ugandan government has allocated UGX 13.9 billion (US$3.78M) in its 2024/25 fiscal year budget for the implementation of a National Traceability System. This system is intended to improve transparency and track coffee from farm to export to ensure it is not linked to deforestation.
Dr. Emmanuel Iyamulemye, Managing Director of the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), stated that the full implementation of the program requires around UGX 35.6 billion (US$9.15 million).
The Ministry of Finance has committed to covering a significant portion of the costs to facilitate the registration process and system development.
Despite progress, the campaign has faced challenges. Some farmers have expressed concerns that registration may result in higher taxation. However, government officials have clarified that the process is solely for regulatory purposes and not linked to tax collection.
Masaka’s Resident District Commissioner, Huddu Hussein, emphasized the importance of meeting the EU’s compliance deadline of December 31, 2025.
He urged collective national effort to complete the registration by the government’s target of August 2025.
In a related development, Bugisu Cooperative Union has requested a UGX 222 billion (US$60 million) government loan to acquire a solar-powered machine to enhance value addition in coffee production. The union plans to repay the loan over ten years and expand its capacity through increased output.
This comes as farmers are demanding an increase in farmgate prices from UGX 12,800 (US$3.48) to UGX 20,000 (US$5.43) per kilogram, highlighting the growing focus on profitability within Uganda’s coffee sector.
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