The Minister of Agriculture, Frank Tumwebaze Thursday, October 28, 2021 inaugurated the 10th Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) Board of directors which will be chaired by Dr. Charles Francis Mugoya.
The event took place at the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) headquarters in Entebbe.
“The new board will continue steering UCDA towards attaining the production target of 20 million bags of coffee by 2025,” UCDA said via its officer Twitter handle.
The UCDA Board of Directors is industry based and is a practical demonstration of public-private partnership with representation from key stakeholders from the private sector and Government including coffee farmers, coffee processors, coffee exporters, coffee roasters, National Agriculture Research Organisation (NARO), Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry & Fisheries and Ministry of Finance, Planning & Economic Development.
Other Board members include John Nuwagaba (representing farmers), Michael Nuwagaba (processors) who is famously known as Mr Coffee , Fred Luzinda-Mukasa (coffee exporters), Dr. Sadik Kasiim (National Agriculture Research Organization- NARO), Connie Masaba Magomu (Ministry of Agriculture), Maris Wanyera (Ministry of Finance), Martha Nalubega Wandera (Coffee Roasters) and Richard Okot Okello (Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives).
According to the The National Coffee Act, 2021, the UCDA board is appointed by the Minister incharge of Agriculture. The Act adds that Board Members except the Managing Director of UCDA shall hold the office for three years and they are eligible for re-appointment for another one more term.
Board’s mandate is to formulate and review the policy of the Authority, set targets for annual performance of the Authority; appraise and evaluate the performance of the management of the Authority; determine the organisational structure and staffing; and appoint and discipline members of staff.
While commissioning the new board, Tumwebaze reiterated the need for development of value chains and market competitiveness.