Uganda Coffee Exports -- USAGM
Metadata
- Uganda Coffee Exports -- USAGM
- March 8, 2022
- Content Type Package
- Language English
- Transcript/Script English Uganda Coffee Exports (TV) HEADLINE: Uganda Coffee Producers Split Over Government Decision to Withdraw from ICO TEASER: PUBLISHED AT: Tuesday, 03/08/2022 3:30 pm BYLINE: Halima Athumani CONTRIBUTOR: DATELINE: Kampala, Uganda VIDEOGRAPHER: Mukasa Francis VIDEO EDITOR: Mukasa Francis PRODUCER: Mary Cieslak SCRIPT EDITORS: BR, Bowman VIDEO SOURCE (S): All VOA PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _x_ RADIO x__ TRT: 3:15 VID APPROVED BY: BR TYPE: TVPKG EDITOR NOTES: )) ((INTRO)) [[Uganda’s decision to withdraw from the International Coffee Organization has led to a split among coffee producers in the country. Halima Athumani reports from Kampala on the controversy roiling Africa’s second largest coffee exporter.]] ((NARRATOR)) Coffee farmer Robert Kabushenga in Uganda’s Wakiso district is among the coffee producers who are upset over the country’s decision last month to withdraw from the International Coffee Organization, or ICO. Uganda says tariffs and other barriers restricting its coffee exports triggered the decision to withdraw from a two-year extension of ICO’s 2007 international coffee agreement. But Kabushenga describes the decision as reckless and illegal, telling VOA it will harm Uganda coffee farmers. ((Robert Kabushenga, Coffee Farmer ((in English)) “How does that affect the farmer? It means that the coffee buyer who has been buying can only buy the coffee he can sell because there he is sure he has a contract. He’s not sure he can take it to warehouses in ICE [International Commodities Exchange]. And because of that, we could quite easily end up with surplus crop here because there’s no buyer.” ((NARRATOR)) But the National Union of Coffee Agribusiness (NUCAFE), which includes some 1500 coffee farmers, supports the government’s decision to withdraw. Executive director Joseph Nkandu says farmers now have the opportunity to take ownership of their product and to invest and upgrade their coffee. ((Joseph Nkandum, NUCAFE Executive Director (in English) “The farmer has been getting far less than five percent of the retail value. Where does the ninety-five percent go? And the only way for this farmer to enhance the value that he’s getting from this coffee value chain is to upgrade.” ((NARRATOR)) Uganda’s withdrawal does not mean an end to exporting coffee, says the managing director of Uganda’s Coffee Development Authority. Emmanuel Iyamulemye says Uganda can now focus on promoting its coffee in other markets. ((Emmanuel Iyamulemye, Uganda Coffee Development Authority (in English) “We are looking at specialty markets. We have our young youth, SME’s [small and medium-sized enterprises] which are looking at entering big markets like the United States, Japan, South Korea, Australia and of course, the Scandinavian countries and Europe.” ((NARRATOR)) ICO officials say the organization has tried to resolve Uganda’s complaints but has not received a response, adding that the reasons for the withdrawal were not strong or related to the agreement. ICO is looking at the integration of the private sector and a public-private task force in a new draft coffee agreement, says ICO operations head Gerardo Patacconi. ((Gerardo Patacconi, ICO Head of Operations (in English)) ((Mandatory cg: Zoom)) “This is a new opportunity. And this opportunity to me is unique and I guess that’s why it’s supported by donors, it’s supported by the industry. So, Uganda is a leading producer of coffee. It’s so sad it doesn’t see that as an opportunity. And whatever concerns should be discussed within. This is a coffee diplomacy.” ((NARRATOR)) Uganda is the leading Robusta coffee exporter in Africa, exporting 6.1 million bags annually. ((Halima Athumani, for VOA News, Kampala, Uganda))
- Transcript/Script Uganda Coffee Exports (TV) HEADLINE: Uganda Coffee Producers Split Over Government Decision to Withdraw from ICO TEASER: PUBLISHED AT: Tuesday, 03/08/2022 3:30 pm BYLINE: Halima Athumani CONTRIBUTOR: DATELINE: Kampala, Uganda VIDEOGRAPHER: Mukasa Francis VIDEO EDITOR: Mukasa Francis PRODUCER: Mary Cieslak SCRIPT EDITORS: BR, Bowman VIDEO SOURCE (S): All VOA PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _x_ RADIO x__ TRT: 3:15 VID APPROVED BY: BR TYPE: TVPKG EDITOR NOTES: )) ((INTRO)) [[Uganda’s decision to withdraw from the International Coffee Organization has led to a split among coffee producers in the country. Halima Athumani reports from Kampala on the controversy roiling Africa’s second largest coffee exporter.]] ((NARRATOR)) Coffee farmer Robert Kabushenga in Uganda’s Wakiso district is among the coffee producers who are upset over the country’s decision last month to withdraw from the International Coffee Organization, or ICO. Uganda says tariffs and other barriers restricting its coffee exports triggered the decision to withdraw from a two-year extension of ICO’s 2007 international coffee agreement. But Kabushenga describes the decision as reckless and illegal, telling VOA it will harm Uganda coffee farmers. ((Robert Kabushenga, Coffee Farmer ((in English)) “How does that affect the farmer? It means that the coffee buyer who has been buying can only buy the coffee he can sell because there he is sure he has a contract. He’s not sure he can take it to warehouses in ICE [International Commodities Exchange]. And because of that, we could quite easily end up with surplus crop here because there’s no buyer.” ((NARRATOR)) But the National Union of Coffee Agribusiness (NUCAFE), which includes some 1500 coffee farmers, supports the government’s decision to withdraw. Executive director Joseph Nkandu says farmers now have the opportunity to take ownership of their product and to invest and upgrade their coffee. ((Joseph Nkandum, NUCAFE Executive Director (in English) “The farmer has been getting far less than five percent of the retail value. Where does the ninety-five percent go? And the only way for this farmer to enhance the value that he’s getting from this coffee value chain is to upgrade.” ((NARRATOR)) Uganda’s withdrawal does not mean an end to exporting coffee, says the managing director of Uganda’s Coffee Development Authority. Emmanuel Iyamulemye says Uganda can now focus on promoting its coffee in other markets. ((Emmanuel Iyamulemye, Uganda Coffee Development Authority (in English) “We are looking at specialty markets. We have our young youth, SME’s [small and medium-sized enterprises] which are looking at entering big markets like the United States, Japan, South Korea, Australia and of course, the Scandinavian countries and Europe.” ((NARRATOR)) ICO officials say the organization has tried to resolve Uganda’s complaints but has not received a response, adding that the reasons for the withdrawal were not strong or related to the agreement. ICO is looking at the integration of the private sector and a public-private task force in a new draft coffee agreement, says ICO operations head Gerardo Patacconi. ((Gerardo Patacconi, ICO Head of Operations (in English)) ((Mandatory cg: Zoom)) “This is a new opportunity. And this opportunity to me is unique and I guess that’s why it’s supported by donors, it’s supported by the industry. So, Uganda is a leading producer of coffee. It’s so sad it doesn’t see that as an opportunity. And whatever concerns should be discussed within. This is a coffee diplomacy.” ((NARRATOR)) Uganda is the leading Robusta coffee exporter in Africa, exporting 6.1 million bags annually. ((Halima Athumani, for VOA News, Kampala, Uganda))
- NewsML Media Topics Economy, Business and Finance
- Topic Tags Coffe Uganda
- Network VOA
- Embargo Date March 8, 2022 16:19 EST
- Description English Uganda’s decision to withdraw from the International Coffee Organization has led to a split among coffee producers in the country. Halima Athumani reports from Kampala on the controversy roiling Africa’s second largest coffee exporter.
- Brand / Language Service Voice of America - English