Government plots tough regulation for vanilla growing in the country
While launching the harvest dates for vanilla, the minister also noted that the country must be able to achieve the high-quality vanilla that buyers require for the international market.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) is working with stakeholders in the vanilla subsector to create a regulatory environment that will address and curb challenges facing vanilla growers and traders.
The state minister for agriculture, Fred Bwino Kyakulaga, noted that vanilla faces the challenges of theft, immature vanilla harvesting and fluctuating prices of the produce. He said these pose a threat to the sustainability and growth of the sub-sector.
Charmar News has learnt that Vanilla is only grown in 15 countries across the globe with Madagascar, the world’s leading producer, supplying over 70% of the world demand whereas Uganda, being the 7th, only supplies 5%.
The minister, who on Tuesday was launching the harvest dates for vanilla at Uganda Media Center, explained that immature harvesting is due to anticipation by farmers that unknown persons will steal their vanilla while still in the garden.
“Government will take strong punitive action against anyone found stealing, harvesting, or in possession of vanilla beans before the stipulated harvest date,” the minister said warningly.
“Vanilla of low quality is highly resented by international vanilla buyers. This affects all the stakeholders along the entire value chain. It is, therefore, important that the issues affecting this potentially vibrant industry are addressed,” he continued.
The minister noted that premature vanilla grossly compromises the quality of the crop because it may not have attained the appropriate 1.6 % vanillin content required on the world market.
Kyakulaga highlighted that reports of killings of thieves or thieves killing farmers have been recorded in the past and continue to emerge.
While launching the harvest dates for vanilla, the minister also noted that the country must be able to achieve the high-quality vanilla that buyers require for the international market.
Data from 2020 indicates that Uganda exported $13.3m worth of vanilla. This vanilla was exported to the United States ($4.99m), Canada ($3.61m), Germany ($1.66m), Switzerland ($670k) and South Africa ($643k).
